Pity and Empathy
by DeathGoblin
Summary: After her brother defeats Gohan, android 18 is struck by his blatant selflessness even in a moment of weakness. Curious, she takes him away and tends to his injuries in hopes of finding out more about what makes him tick.
1. The Game Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Seventeen grinned proudly, looming over Gohan's lifeless body. Extending his foot, he nudged Gohan's face to see if there would be any sort of reaction. The lack of response told him that he had done what he set out to do. "He's dead." The words came out nice and slowly as the cyborg savored the taste of victory. "Come on Eighteen, let's get going." He turned to fly away, not bothering to check if his sister was following.

Eighteen was about to do the same when she heard something. Turning around, she saw Gohan's body moving. He could hear him cough a few times as he struggled to prop himself up against a nearby chunk of debris. His one arm struggled to pull him towards the target point, and soon, he collapsed back into unconsciousness with a groan.

Landing near his unconscious body, Eighteen thought over whether she would blast him into oblivion or not. However, before she could make a decision, she heard someone coming and looked up to see Gohan's friend, Trunks, scanning the area below for signs of his master.

She felt curious about how this would play out, and decided to hide and see what Trunks would do. Gohan was in critical condition and if the boy didn't know his master was alive, he would surely die. She saw him land near the body, and try to shake his master awake. After several failed attempts, the boy cried out and was soon enveloped in a golden flame.

Eighteen's eyes widened at the transformation, something she had seen Gohan do quite often. Now she knew what it was, an expression of anger, pain and suffering. Moments later, the boy took off, presumably either for home or revenge. When the coast was clear, Eighteen emerged and gave a light chuckled. For all its bright lights, the super saiyan wasn't that special; just a multiplier of strength, and with a power as low as his, Trunks still wouldn't stand a chance against Eighteen and her brother.

Looking back at Gohan, she knelt beside him to check for vitals. He's still breathing, and his heart is beating. It would've been safe to move him, though his body was badly burnt from the cyborgs' last attack. Eighteen contemplated killing him now, but as she stood up, his hand reached out to grip her ankle. She tensed up, but quickly realized that he wasn't conscious.

"T-runks…" Gohan began panting before coughing out the next few words. "I…I'm…proud…" However, he couldn't finish his sentence as he passed out completely.

Eighteen was in a sort of trance as she stared down at his body, oblivious to the raindrops soaking her hair and her clothing. _He's so helpless_, thought Eighteen with a smug grin. However, her eyes widened when Gohan tried to move again. He was still unaware of her proximity to him. She stepped out of his way as he began clawing his way towards the piece of rubble, as if it held all the answers.

"Can't give up," he said in an attempted self-motivation. "Everyone's…counting…on me." He made a painful grunt, each time his solitary right arm reached out to pull him forward. "Can't…I can't let everyone…down." He lacked the strength, and his body gave out s he collapsed mere inches away from his target.

Eighteen raised an eyebrow, yet surprisingly, she didn't feel as amused as she had previously thought. _He looks so…helpless. Should I help him?_ Pity was an alien emotion to her, yet as she looked over the helpless warrior, who just an hour ago had been the second strongest on the planet, she had no idea what possessed her to pick him up and carry him away.

* * *

He felt hazy and though his mind wanted to open his eyes and check where he was, he was far too lazy to actually do so. His body ached and he was very drowsy. Gohan tried to move his arm, but it felt too heavy and like he had no energy left. After spending several minutes in this limbo state, he mustered up the strength to open his eyes.

He was in a dimly lit room, and could feel the mattress beneath him. Wherever he was, it was hastily put together. As his eyes adapted, he saw rocky walls surrounding him. Then, looking to his left, he saw two doors, one marked bathroom, and the other unmarked, and smaller, suggesting it was some sort of closer. Beyond the doors and at the far left corner of the room was a gate with metallic bars, making Gohan feel like prisoner. On the other side was a small kitchen as well as a dark passage the presumably led outside.

Closing his eyes and laying back down, Gohan let out a sigh. "Is this hell?"

"No," came a reply from a voice the he instantly recognized. Bolting upright, Gohan saw her standing on the other side of the bars, giving him a cruel smile. "You've been out for weeks. I thought you wouldn't make it."

Gohan glared at her, suspicious of her intentions. "Where am I, and why did you bring me here?"

She wagged her finger at him tauntingly. "Is that anyway to thank the girl who saved your life?"

"Don't play games with me android!" Gohan would have tried to turn super saiyan, but knew he couldn't. He was still weak from his last battle, and wasn't any condition to fight. "I thought you and your brother wanted me dead!"

"We did," replied Eighteen with a raised eyebrow. "However…let's just say I saw an opportunity and took it. Everyone else, including Seventeen and that boy you've been training, think you're dead, but I feel like keeping you around a little longer."

"Why?" asked Gohan with a raised eyebrow. "You've got nothing to gain from having me here. Am I your pet or something" He immediately regretted that last statement when he saw her eyes light up in inspiration.

"Let's go with that," replied Eighteen. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have a pet, and you seem to fit the bill quite nicely." She crossed her arms and moved to the kitchen where she began preparing a meal for him. "I am curious about something. You keep going on about helping others and protecting others. That doesn't benefit you in anyway…why bother?"

He clenched his fist at her indifferent tone. "I enjoy helping people. Seeing them happy makes me happy. It's not something a machine like you would understand." His words dripped with venom as thirteen years of hatred bubbled to the surface. "All you and your brother care about is helping yourselves. You never think about how the other side feels."

Eighteen shrugged. "I guess I don't." She turned around and brought him a sandwich, opening the door to hand it to him. "Eat it. It'll help you keep up your strength."

Gohan looked down at the seemingly ordinary sandwich before looking back up at her with a confused face. "Why would you do this? It seems so out of character for you."

"Like I said, I'm curious," replied Eighteen. "I want to know what makes your mind tick." She placed her hands on her hips and eyed him. "You could force people to do your bidding with the power you've got, yet you seem more like their servant than their master. You're always putting them first, and frankly, it gets on my nerves." She raised an eyebrow when she saw him eyeing the sandwich suspiciously. "It's just a sandwich. I do not intend to poison you."

Gohan reluctantly took a bite out of the sandwich, while keeping an eye on the cyborg. She seemed intent on making sure he finished his meal, and with his diminished strength, it was in his best interest to comply. When he had finished, he handed the plate back to her and she walked out of the jail cell, closing the gate behind her.

"You know, I don't understand why you do the things you do. Your powers could easily make the world a better place. You could've been heroes," Gohan's tone seemed to carry a hint of disappointment. "If you hated Dr. Gero so much, then why are you doing exactly what he wanted you and your brother to do?"

Eighteen let loose a cruel laugh. "We've been over this before. We do it because we can. Watching those pathetic wimps squirming with terror is fun. Seventeen and I enjoy bringing disorder to society and showing people just how fragile they are. We're just putting humanity in its place."

"Just because you can do it, doesn't make it right." Gohan was very angry with her, but he knew better than to let his anger control him. He couldn't do anything in his current state, so he might as well figure some things out about his enemy while he was here.

Eighteen turned with face him and glared at him with her hands on her hips. "Don't take that self righteous tone with me. Who are you to decide what is right and wrong?" Her tone was rising now; he had apparently struck a cord. "I'm tired of people saying that what we do is bad with nothing to back it up."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "We humans kind of have an instinct that tells us when things are unfair, or wrong. It's what allows to function in a civilized world. Without rules or right and wrong, everything would be in chaos. My guide to right and wrong comes from the environment I was raised in." His eyes narrowed at her. "I suppose a robot like yourself wouldn't know."

Eighteen gave him a look that would make anyone else, including Trunks, piss in their pants. "NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER, call me a robot."

Gohan gave her a cocky grin; he didn't care if she killed him, he was already at her mercy anyway. "If you're not a robot, then what are you? You do refer to yourselves as inorganic beings."

Eighteen reigned in her temper. "That's Seventeen you're talking about. He's fully embraced becoming a machine. I, on the other hand, also consider myself to be a woman. If you must know, I'm a cyborg."

"So you were once human?" asked Gohan with sudden interest. He hoped to find out more about what made his enemy tick. "Where you Dr. Gero's daughter or something?"

"None of your business," snapped Eighteen before turning to leave. "I'll be back later. Stay where you are."

Gohan rolled his eyes and lay back down. _ It's not as if I have a choice. I have a feeling that this is going to be a living nightmare for me. I just hope Trunks can handle being without me. _Then he heard his stomach churning and he knew that the sandwich hadn't satisfied his appetite. However, in his current state, he knew that his stomach couldn't handle the monstrous amounts of food he could put away at a single sitting. For now, he would have to suck it up and endure; this wasn't the first time it happened.

* * *

Trunks limped down the stairs of the damaged Capsule Corp mansion. His stomach grumbled and he was in a foul mood. When he got downstairs, he saw his mother making a bowl of cereal.

"Hey Trunks," said Bulma. "Are you feeling better now?"

"No," replied Trunks. "Gohan's dead, and I'm completely useless against the androids."

She sighed before turning to face him with a sweat smile. "You've only just become a super saiyan. I'm sure it'll take some time before you get used to it. Gohan trained for thirteen years as a super saiyan and even he couldn't destroy the androids."

Trunks clenched his fists angrily. "He'd still be alive if I hadn't been dragging him down. I'm the reason he lost his left arm."

"Don't blame yourself," replied Bulma. "Gohan wouldn't blame you." She handed him a bowl and directed his attention to the cereal and milk. "Now how about some breakfast. I'll bet food will lift those spirits up."

* * *

Several hours passed before Eighteen came back. Gohan could here a metallic sound as the door to the cave entrance shut. He saw her shadow shortly before she appeared in the chamber he was in.

"I hope you behaved yourself," said Eighteen as she set down several bags of supplies. "I brought some supplies." She began pulling stuff out and fixing him another meal. "You'll need to keep up your strength if you want to heal up."

"Aren't you afraid that I'm going to kick your butt when I recover?"

"Don't underestimate me," replied Eighteen as she smiled and stared at him out of the corner of her eye. "You were no match for Seventeen by himself, and I'm not that much weaker than he is. Besides, I have ways of keeping your power down."

Gohan sighed as he sat up in bed. He remembered the metallic sound the doors made when they opened and closed. "Is this Dr. Gero's lab?"

"No…it's something he built near his lab," replied Eighteen. "He used it as a living space. I installed the metal bars myself though. I mean you are my prisoner. I have to make you feel like one."

"So I supposed you'll use one of Dr. Gero's inventions to keep my power down…some sort of ki inhibitor?"

"Your smart," replied Eighteen, turning around and bringing him his dinner. "I think I'll enjoy picking your brain in my spare time. Who knows, maybe you'll grow on me." He saw Gohan staring at her like she was crazy and chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up…I'm not that kind of woman."

"Disgusting," replied Gohan as she handed him the plate. He noticed her watching him intently as he began eating. "You're staring."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to make sure you eat all your vegetables."

"What are you…my mom?" Gohan frown at her, and she returned it. "I wonder how your brother will react if he finds out I'm here?"

"He'd be angry," replied Eighteen indifferently as she sat down near him. "Don't worry though, I'm a good liar and he wouldn't think to come here looking for me. He generally gives me my space."

"So I take it this is your own private domain where you keep your stuff you stole away from his grubby little hands," replied Gohan bitterly.

"Yeah, something like that," replied Eighteen smugly. "Oh, and you would be wise not to upset me. After all, your life is in my hands now. I could finish you off any time I want."

"Off course," replied Gohan with a serious tone. "You're still my enemy. There's just nothing I can do to resist you right now."

"Good," replied Eighteen as she went back outside and put his plate away. She then came back and sat next to him. "Now tell me more about this philosophy of helping others. I just don't get that."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Just do as I say! Tell me why you're always helping people. What kind of value do you get out of it?" She was genuinely curious about this. She had always thought the humans would betray each other in an attempt to get ahead in the world she and her brother had created. However, the cyborgs' actions only served to bring out the best in human compassion as people began to rely on each other more than usual.

Gohan remained silent as he contemplated it. "It's hard to explain, but I just feel happy knowing the other person is happy. In a way, I can kind of imagine what they would be feeling. It's called empathy. I help people because I can imagine how unhappy they'd be if I didn't as well as how happy they'd be if I did."

She broke out into laughter. "Man that's good. Did you get that line out of a movie or something? It's so corny." Eighteen continued laughing, clutching her sides in the process, however, she eventually calmed down and saw him glaring at her. "What's wrong? Can't you take a joke?"

"It wasn't funny," replied Gohan spitefully. "You and your brother always do that. Any form of justice is just a joke to you. Do you ever take anything seriously?"

"We took you seriously," replied Eighteen in a more controlled tone. "That's why we decided to kill you. However, I changed my mind when I saw you still alive, so here we are."

"So what now? What do you want with me?" He felt interested in her now. Unlike his previous assumptions, he had come to realize that the cyborgs had a limited range of emotions from happiness/satisfaction to anger/frustration. This, however, was outside of that range, and it left him perplexed. "Actually, a better question would be, why me and not someone else?"

She cupped her chin and thought for a moment. _He's got a good point…I guess I'm curious about why he's such a self-righteous fool._ "I'm just curious about these…human emotions. In a world like this, I expected it to be every man for himself. Honestly, Seventeen and I think lowly of humans. We thought they only lived peacefully when times were good and would just turn on each other when tragedy struck."

"You underestimate human kindness," replied Gohan. "It's what our species evolved with to allow us to live in groups. We're hardwired to live and work in groups, and good group has members who support each other. Tell me, would you and Seventeen betray each other if things went bad?"

"Off course not!" Eighteen grabbed Gohan's hair and pulled him into closed so their noses were almost touching. "Now listen to me. I will ask the questions around here, not you." Her tone was threatening, yet she spoke in a whisper.

"Of course your majesty," replied Gohan sarcastically.

She gave him a quirky smile. "Sarcasm? That's a first for you. I kinda like that attitude of yours." Leaning in, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow. Eighteen walked out and closed the gate before disposing of the plate. A few minutes later, Gohan heard the metallic door shut, meaning that he was alone once more.

Gohan's eyebrow twitched, in his mind, the kiss left a burning scar on his cheek. _ This is really going to suck,_ thought Gohan. He lay back down and covered himself with the blanket. _Oh well, I should try to make the most of this. I just hope the human race can last without me.

* * *

_

I have writers block for all my other current stories. and I've really been itching to put out another Gohan/18 story. Since non of my other current stories will have any Gohan/18 action any time soon, I decided to take a quick break from them and put this story out. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish it quickly and get my inspiration back for my other stories.


	2. Sadness

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen stared down at the ruined cityscape. The twins had done a number on a once bustling metropolis, and now, there were few, if any survivors. They weren't competing for points, so there wasn't any fun in killing the few bedraggled survivors.

Seventeen had found himself a car and was now on a joy ride somewhere. It was a big city, and Eighteen could wander through the deserted streets without being disturbed by her brother's ruckus. It felt oddly peaceful, moving through the town without any noise pollution. However, that peace was eventually shattered by the sound of crying.

The cyborg wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she traced the sound to a nearby warehouse. Upon entering, she found a man weeping over the body of a little girl. Eighteen raised an eyebrow at his peculiar behavior.

_What's that fool doing? He could easily escape…the girl's dead; she's of no further use to him? Why's he wasting his time crying over her?_ She extended her hand to the oblivious man. "Stupid human," she muttered before blasting him.

Walking up to the little girl's lifeless body, Eighteen eyed it with disgust. "What's so special about you anyway? Why was he so upset over you?" She knew that there would be no answer and kicked the body in frustration. "Stupid girl."

"Hey Eighteen, why don't we go home," said Seventeen as he walked into the warehouse. He then noticed the little girl and the charred remains of the man and raised an eyebrow. "Having fun I see."

"Nah, it's boring. I'm getting bored now. Let's go home." She walked past her brother without giving him a sideways glance. He was soon behind her as she took off and they headed for the mountains. However, she remembered that she had to check up on Gohan. "Hey Seventeen, why don't you just go home? I feel like spending some time alone for a while."

"I don't mind," replied Seventeen. "But what's up? You've been doing that a lot for the past few weeks since we killed Gohan." Then a light bulb went off in his mind as his lips curved into a sly grin. "Oh Eighteen, why didn't you tell me you had a crush on him?"

"What?" She stopped mid flight and turned to glare at him. "What the hell gave you that idea?"

Seventeen shrugged, but maintained his teasing grin. "What else would explain your different behavior? You want some alone time because you miss Gohan, don't you? You're just upset because we don't have our favorite toy to play with anymore, am I right?"

Eighteen smiled back at him. "Not even close Seventeen. Now that I don't need to babysit you anymore with Gohan running around, I think I can do what I want little brother."_ Besides, why would I miss him when I see him every day?_

Seventeen made a pouting face. "Come on Eighteen, you know I killed Gohan on my own without your help. I was only holding back those other times." They both shared a quick laugh before Seventeen floated past her. "I'll just go home now, and you can go broad over 'Gohan'." He dashed off before she could retort.

Eighteen tucked her hair behind her left ear before heading towards Gohan's jail cell. She was looking forward to satisfying her curiosity over another human emotion, sadness. It was inconceivable to her why someone would waste time crying over a dead child. Crying wouldn't bring the person back, and it made the person vulnerable. What was the point of sadness? Hopefully, Gohan would have the answers.

Soon, she had arrived at the cave and once inside, she made her way to the kitchen and began fixing a meal. Gohan was sure to be hungry, and this would be his first breakfast in week. She wasn't particularly in to cooking, and she wasn't going to break her back to make him a special meal. Instead, she chose to prepare a simple bowl of cereal and a glass of water to keep him hydrated.

She placed the bowl and the glass on a tray and upon entering Gohan's cell, she saw him sprawled out on the mattress, sleeping soundly. He wasn't snoring, and looked so peaceful. Eighteen couldn't help but snickering at the thought of shattering his peace. Placing the tray on a bedside table to his left, she slowly crawled on the bed and grabbed his shoulders before shaking him awake, though she wasn't too hard on him.

Gohan's eyes slowly opened and just as he began to make out Eighteen's face, "boo!" His body stiffened up as he made a startled gasp, eyes wide as they stared into those of his captor. Eighteen was soon laughing as she got off him.

"Man, I never thought you'd be so easy to spook." She gave him an amused grin as he groaned before sitting up. "I brought you some breakfast." She motioned to the food on his bedside table. "Eat up."

Gohan could tell that she was pleased with herself for startling him. The cyborgs always enjoyed knocking the tough down a few pegs. Deciding not to dig himself in any deeper, Gohan began eating his cereal before downing the glass of water. It felt awkward to be eating in front of her, but he could get used to it. In all honesty, he felt that he should have died during that last battle.

After taking Gohan's plate away, Eighteen came back and sat down next to him, eyeing him intently. She smiled when he sat firmly under her gaze when anyone else would have squired. "So what can you tell me about sadness?"

Gohan shrugged. "It's the feeling of loss…only magnified. When people become close, they form a bond. When one of them dies, the bond is broken, and it feels painful."

"Is it damaging?" asked Eighteen, now more intrigued by the idea.

Gohan shook his head. "It can be…but only psychologically. It's a different kind of pain you'd feel though. Even if you do fell something physically, the pain will all just be here," he pointed at his head, but she knew he meant the mind. "Just imagine how it would feel if your brother was gone. That's probably what sadness would be."

Eighteen chuckled at his statement. "Do you think I'd become an emotional wreck if Seventeen went missing?" She shook her head. "I would never do something as weak as crying over him."

"If you care about him…and your bond is broken in some way, then you never know what you'd do until something like that happened." Gohan's face became serious. "You're probably wondering what the point of crying is."

"What possible use could such a ridiculous function have?" Eighteen gave him a cruel grin. "All it does is make unnecessary noise and make the crier seem weak and pathetic like a baby."

"That's the point," replied Gohan. "Like I said before, humans are social beings. We need the support of a group. Stress can kill, and that includes emotional stress. Crying is a way to express sadness to others, and a way to relieve that kind of emotional stress. It's not pleasant, but it has its place. Without it, people would just keep everything bottled up inside, and probably wouldn't be able to communicate the magnitude of their emotions."

"Hmph," Eighteen rolled her eyes at his little lecture. "Seems more like a waste of water to me. The humans seem like a bunch of needy weaklings." Her grin broadened when he sent her a death glare.

"I suppose you don't care about Seventeen then," replied Gohan bitterly.

"Off course I care about Seventeen," scoffed Eighteen. "We don't need anything else, just each other. That's how it will always be."

"Then how would you feel if he were taken away?" Moments later, he jerked forward as Eighteen grabbed a fist full of his shirt. Soon he was face to face with her.

"Are you insinuating that I'd be weak like the humans; that I'd cry if Seventeen died?' She glared back at him. "I care about my brother, but I'm not attached to him. If he dies, it'll be his problem, not mine."

"What about loneliness?" She raised a curious eyebrow, urging him to go on. "You'd feel lonely after he died, wouldn't you. He's the only one who's exactly like you. With him dead, there would only be one left."

Letting go of him, Eighteen turned away to stare at the ground with a pensive expression. He had a point. _Without Seventeen…whom would I kill humans with? Am I capable of sadness too?_ She shook her head dismissively. "No…I don't think I can feel sadness anymore. Dr. Gero got rid of my weak human emotions."

"What about frustration whenever I managed to escape you?" Gohan gave her a cocky grin. He didn't care if he was putting his life on the line; his prospects were grim as it were. "You and your brother seem to have some emotions left."

"You've got a point," replied Eighteen in an indifferent tone. "We can feel unhappy when we don't get what we want, and happy when we do, but that's about it. We don't have any wasteful emotions like love, sadness, or fear."

"Those aren't wasteful emotions," replied Gohan as if he were a teacher repeating it for the tenth time to his students. "It's all to do with social bonds. Fear is useful because it motivates people to escape danger; lack of fear is not bravery, but stupidity. There are some things you should be afraid of."

"Are you calling me stupid?" Eighteen knew it was a rhetorical question, but she pressed further. "What do Seventeen and I have to be afraid of? Nobody can defeat us. We're unstoppable."

"All that means is that you two haven't encountered anything to fear so far. If something does pose a threat to you, it would be wise to fear it. Also, there's a difference between being afraid and panicking. All panicking does is make you more vulnerable, while fear itself could make you tougher to kill." Gohan took a deep breath as he finished that sentence.

"What about sadness and love? Aren't those useless? It's makes a person too attached to someone else. I don't like the idea of being so dependent."

"Love is, once again, a form of social bonding. Like fear, it can be a strong motivator, only this time; it promotes teamwork or helping someone in need. Sadness is a negative emotion and a state that people would rather avoid. You could say that the aversion to being sad is another strong social motivator. Also, sadness is a way to communicate that something is wrong."

"So what you're saying is that humans are all a bunch of dependant weaklings?" Eighteen snickered as she saw Gohan's face. He looked like he was ready to pull the hairs out of his head. "So what about you? If I remember correctly, you're not human. You're a saiyan-human hybrid. Where do you stand in all this?"

"I am still half human," replied Gohan, and I am capable of functioning normally in human society. I feel a kinship to the human race, and I grew up here among humans so I basically consider myself more human than saiyan. Even my father felt a greater affinity to Earth than to his own race." Gohan saw an opportunity for a verbal jab, and said, "you know, now that I think about it the only people who don't seem to fit in around here, are you and Seventeen. Maybe that's why you really kill people. You're jealous of the rest of us and our strong bonds to each other, and it makes you angry and want to shatter it."

Her eyes burned fiercely into his as she raised her hand to strike him. He stood his ground, not fearing what she was planning to do. It annoyed her. "Well?"

"Go ahead…do it. I don't care anymore. My ability to help others is nil as it is. There's no special reason for me to live anymore. So go ahead, I'm not scared."

Eighteen paused for a moment before lowering her hand. She gave him a genuine smile, though he wouldn't recognize it. "You intrigue me Gohan." She got up and walked out of the jail cell before closing the gate. "See you later," she said as she walked out of the cave.

* * *

Here's the second chapter, and I hope I've got them both in character. Since Eighteen isn't openly lusting after Gohan like in 'May I Use You' it might be a bit longer until sparks begin to fly.


	3. The Deal

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

A week went by and Gohan was recovering fast. His power level hadn't gotten to the point where he could fly, but Eighteen felt that it was time to stop it. His injuries were fully healed, and he was ready for the ki inhibitors. Gohan was rudely awakened as Eighteen slammed the cave door behind her.

Sitting up in bed with a shock, Gohan watched her warily as she walked into the jail cell. She had an especially cruel smirk on today. In her hands was a metallic chain with special leathery pads on the inside that contacted the flesh. He could tell that it was a neck collar, not unlike what a boy would put on his dog. He was now officially her pet.

"Here, put this on." Eighteen detached the collar from the chain before handing it to Gohan. "Once it goes on, the wearer will be unable to remove it." She proceeded to fasten the chain to a metallic protrusion sticking out of the wall on the far end. The chain was long enough to allow Gohan to move about the room freely, but not long enough for him to leave the cell.

He stared at the collar in his hands before looking back at her. "What if I don't want to?"

She turned to him with a mischievous grin. "Then I'll put it on for you. Give it here." He knew better than to resist this time, and handed the collar over to her. Eighteen promptly fastened it to his neck and stared at the back of his head with a satisfied grin. She then leaned in and whispered in his ear. "It looks nice on you, my little pet."

He shivered at the sound of her voice. She sounded very creepy and he suspected her intentions behind this. Having experienced the world in his efforts to beat the androids, he was well aware of all the perverse situations he could find himself in with a chain and neck collar.

Eighteen giggled at his nervousness. "Does this give you any ideas Gohan? I might be happy to oblige." Off course she would never actually consider doing something with him, but teasing was always fun.

Gohan turned around to face her with a frown. "It doesn't give any pleasant ideas, and no thanks." He had no intention of indulging her any further and turned away from her so she couldn't read his facial expression. "So what now? I'm your pet…what's going to happen to me?"

"I have yet to decide," replied Eighteen. "All I know is that I'm curious, and I enjoy talking to you. You've got a sharp mind and I enjoy picking your brain about the irrationalities of the human race."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. She could really get on his nerves with her constant ridicule of humanity. The cyborg didn't seem to get it when he talked about society and how people formed bonds within it. He knew that he would regret saying this, but asked, "is there anything on your mind today?"

Eighteen shrugged. "Nothing in particular, but…why don't we talk about…redemption."

"Redemption? What kind of redemption?" He raised an eyebrow at where this was going. "Are you interested in redeeming yourself?"

She snorted in amusement. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't feel as if I have to justify myself to your standards. What I'm interested in is why you'd allow a murdered like Vegeta or Piccolo into your ranks. What exactly did they do to gain your trust to the point where you overlooked their crimes of the past?"

Now Gohan was stumped. What exactly happened to make them into good guys? Gohan couldn't think of a single turning point, though he could recount examples of their developing good nature coming to the surface. "Come to think of it, I don't really know. It was definitely a gradual process, and at a certain point, we felt trust towards them. Slowly, they spent time with us, and we showed them kindness and they eventually responded."

"Sounds corny," replied Eighteen mockingly. "What about all the people Vegeta killed or the fact the Piccolo almost killed your father and eventually succeeded in doing him in along with Raditz?"

Gohan groaned in frustration. "I guess you have a point there. However, we didn't just wipe aside the fact that they were once evil. There came a point where we realized that they were no longer that way anymore. Their hearts had changed, and now they would never do those things again. I don't think it was a conscious decision either."

Eighteen shrugged. "I guess that works…it's not as if you could do anything about repairing the damage they caused since Vegeta killed people in deep space and Piccolo barely killed anyone at all." A devious grin appeared on her. "But if they had the chance to help clean up their own damage, would they have done so?"

Gohan shook his head; she could tell that he wasn't proud of it. "I'm sure Piccolo would…but Vegeta hasn't quite reached that stage yet. Bulma would probably have to force him."

Eighteen nodded in response, she was enjoying her intelligent conversation with Gohan. No human would talk to her, and her brother was not the ideal candidate for an intelligent conversation. All Seventeen was interested in was destruction, and talking about how weak people are as well as bragging about his high score in human deaths.

Then an idea came to her. "Would you like an update on your lavender haired friend? We saw him a few days ago while attacking ginger town. Would you like hear it?"

That piqued his interest. "What about Trunks? Did you and your brother do something to him?" When it came to Trunks, he couldn't help worrying. The boy had become a little brother to him.

Eighteen chuckled in response. "As you know, he thinks your dead, and I haven't told anyone about you being here. However, you'd be interested to know that he's able to do that…blond hair thing that you always did."

"He's a super saiyan?" asked Gohan with pride in his voice. "I always knew he could do it. That's great." He seemed to ignore Eighteen, who was clearly amused at his little moment of happiness.

Eighteen cleared her through, bringing Gohan back to the situation at hand. "Are you seriously hoping that he kills me and Seventeen?" Gohan nodded. "Do you really think that weak little boy can do it? I'd say he wouldn't even be a match for Freeza in his current state."

"It's not his current strength I'm talking about," replied Gohan. "He's the son of Vegeta after all. He'll do it. I have faith in him." Gohan felt uneasy, as if he was given her a warning, but remembered that she would disagree. However, her next statement caught him off guard.

"What would happen to you then? Aren't you worried about what your fate would be if he killed me?" Looking at his face, she could tell that he was clueless of what she was getting at, and a cruel smirk appeared. "Imagine a scenario where that Trunks kid manages to defeat me and my brother. I'd imagine it would happen when we were attacking a city. Then what would become of you? He would never know to come looking for you, and even if I told him, he wouldn't believe me, after all, he thinks you're dead."

Gohan cringed at the thought of a slow death by starvation in the cave, it didn't sound too pleasant, but compared with the benefits it seemed like nothing. "I don't care…not that I'll like it, but the freedom of everyone on Earth and peace being restored for everyone else would make it worth all my suffering. I'm ready to give everything to make that happen."

"Are you so sure about that? You never know how you'd feel until you feel your bones rotting right before your eyes. At least with me around, you'll have some company and a source of sustenance." Her eyes glinted in amusement of what she was about to say. "You need me, and your life is now tethered to my life. If I die, you will too. You should be rooting for me."

"I…I'm still sure. I know my suffering won't last forever. I'll die knowing that I made a difference and was loved. I could never fault Trunks for saving the planet. Any amount of suffering I might endure can be justified. It's what I agreed to the moment I started fighting against you two."

Eighteen chuckled, reaching out and ruffling his hair. "How noble of you. Putting your life on the line for people who might never recognize what you've done. You'd walk through fire and ice for them, regardless of what you get in return."

"It's generosity, another human trait that makes society possible. I'm sure that if situations were reversed, the average person would step in and help me out if they could. It's a type of trust. Once again, I doubt you and your brother have that kind of trust, because you're both outsiders."

"Lecture me all you want Gohan," replied Eighteen. "You can't shame me into redemption if that's what you're trying to do. Or are you trying to save me by showing me the errors of how I life?" She gave him a cruel and mocking laugh. "How romantic."

"Ew," replied Gohan with a cocky grin. However, before he could retort, his stomach rumbled, causing in involuntary blush of embarrassment. "I um…yeah…never mind."

"I'll go fix you a meal. You haven't had lunch after all." She decided to play on her previous comment to see if he would freak out. "After all, they say the best way to a man's heart is his stomach." Though he didn't lose it completely, she noted with amusement, the deepening blush on his cheeks, though he was clearly uncomfortable with it. "Awe, look's like someone's got a crush."

"I DO NOT!" Gohan's face became even redder, though this time it was from anger; not that anyone would be able to tell though. "As If I'd ever fall for you. Besides, your brother would kill me if that happened."

Eighteen waved her hand dismissively. "Seventeen's not smart enough to figure that out. He's an idiot…well more in a childish sense than a retarded sense."

"Isn't a grown up with the brain power of a child by definition a retard?"

"That's just a technicality," replied Eighteen. "Besides, my point is that Seventeen, and intelligent should never be used in the same sentence unless a 'not' is between them."

"That's one thing we can agree on," replied Gohan. "Come to think of it, does that guy have some kind of sister complex?" Eighteen was grinning ear to ear, when she came back into the cell with his lunch. "I mean the way he's always following you around and trying to get your attention with his stupid and destructive games. You'd think he's got some sort of mental illness."

Eighteen broke out into laughter, which in turn coaxed Gohan into laughing as well. "I can completely understand why you'd think that. His 'brotherly' does seem to go beyond the brotherly part, and you're right, he is always trying to keep me entertained and he doesn't like it when I pay attention to anyone else."

Gohan's laughter died down quickly and he began eating his lunch. He became curious about the twins' relationship. "Have you ever been interested in anyone before? I mean, it sounds as if you're speaking from experience."

"I am," replied Eighteen. "As you know, Seventeen and I often take the time to enjoy an area before we destroy it. Once in a while, I'd see this cute boy and decide that I want to 'enjoy' him for a night. Off course, Seventeen would be irritated, even if he tried his best to conceal it, I'd be able to tell, and I'd know that come tomorrow, that boy would be dead." She shrugged it off like it wasn't anything special. "But that's life I suppose."

Gohan narrowed his yes in anger and frustration. "It's not fair…the way you and your brother play around with people's lives, it's not fair at all." Eighteen turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I know you're going to say that it's your brother's fault, but I think you're responsible as well."

Eighteen was clearly interested to hear more of Gohan's logic as she placed her hands on her hips, giving him an amused smirk. "And how exactly is it my fault when Seventeen's the one who's done the killing? All I did was go out with the guy and one-night stand him. I have no control over whether or not my brother decides to kill someone."

"You still knew that your brother would want to kill him after you did that, yet you did it anyway. That means that you could've prevented his death…at least for that moment, yet you didn't, and by choice. You're just as guilty because of that. In a way, you did have control over whether your brother made a special effort to kill him."

Eighteen simply waved him off. She then looked over at him eating his lunch and was amused to see that he hadn't gotten used to only having one arm yet. The plate was on his lap, and he was using his right arm to eat, yet when it began sliding down, Gohan would pause for a brief instant before dropping his fork and adjusting the plate's position with his right arm, and then resume eating.

She saw an opportunity for a verbal jab and wasn't one to pass such a thing up. "Look's like you're still not used to having one arm. Is that a case of the phantom limb syndrome?" She chuckled as he sent her a death glare out of the corner of his eye; he was apparently still sensitive on the subject, so she decided to poke further. "What?"

"I hate you." He turned back to his meal, but then something came to him. He realized that if Eighteen was here with him, then she wasn't out there ruining people's lives. Also, Trunks would have a much better chance of fighting one cyborg instead of two.

When he finished his meal, Gohan handed the plate to Eighteen who took it back to the kitchen before coming into the cell and fastening the chain to the back of his collar. "I'll be leaving now," said Eighteen. "See you at dinner time." She left the cell, shutting the gate behind her.

Gohan hesitated for a moment before calling out. "Wait! Please don't go!" He heard a giggle before she came back into the cell with a look of amusement, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

"What happened? I thought you 'hated' me. What's with the change of heart?" Then her grin widened as another thought came to her. "Or are you afraid to spend time alone?"

"I just realized that I'd rather have you around than be alone." He hoped that she'd buy it. "I'm human after all, and we're social creatures…I just want your company…please stay." Gohan felt sick to his stomach begging her, but he knew it was for the greater good.

Eighteen was not one to be fooled so easily. She wasn't an idiot, and her brainpower was easily close to, if not on par with Gohan's. Her face told him that she was impressed, though that wasn't necessarily a good thing for him. "You clever thing, I know what you're up to. You figure that if I'm here with you, then I won't be there killing people." She knew that she had him. "Don't try to lie, I can tell that it's the truth."

"So are you going to stay or not?" He saw a glint in her eyes, and knew it wouldn't end well.

"That depends. What will I get out of staying here with you? What will you give me if I choose to stay?" She sat down next to him, leaning dangerously close; challenging him. "Well Gohan…what's it gonna be?"

"I'll do anything you want…as long as it doesn't involve killing or harming people. Anything to keep you here instead of out there. How does that sound?"

Eighteen's eyes lit up at his statement. "So I get my own slave boy. That's sound fun." Licking her lips in anticipation, she leaned closer to him. "If you can keep me entertained, not only will I stay here, but when I'm out painting the town red with Seventeen, I'll make sure to let your little friend, Trunks, live after every battle. Do we have a deal?"

Gohan swallowed hard before speaking. _I'm sorry dad, but my love for humanity overwhelms my saiyan pride_. "It's a deal."

* * *

I hope Gohan accepting the deal wasn't too out of character. I'm trying to portray him as selfless. Also, I made an attempt at showing chemistry between them with that joke about Seventeen.


	4. Selflessness and Torture

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

"You seem unusually excited today Eighteen," said Seventeen in interest. "What's on your mind? Do you have any special plans with a special someone?" He seemed to put more emphasis on that last sentence, being very interested in his sister's love life.

"Brother, can't I just be happy for no reason?" It was a question Eighteen didn't expect an answer for. "I'm just in a good mood, that's all. I probably just had a good night's sleep." Eighteen walked out of their house, which was located somewhere in the southern part of the continent. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her brother who had picked up on her recently and unusually good mood.

Seventeen raised a confused eyebrow, eyeing her as if she were another person. "You've been perked up since a few days ago. Something has to be going on for you to be in such a good mood." His grin broadened as he gave her one of his semi-crazy smiles. "Have you been concealing a special guy from me all this time? If so, he must be really special for you to got to such lengths to keep him safe."

She smiled and shook her head. "Off course not brother. I would never keep such a big secret from you. Besides, you know that I think human men are only good for one-nighters. They get boring after that."

"What about saiyan-human hybrids?" Seventeen gave her a knowing look. "I mean, come on, I find it amazing that you've haven't ever developed an interest in Gohan or that kid…though it would be weird if it were that kid…although he is growing up fast."

Eighteen gave him a mock disgusted face. "Ugh…they're far worse than human males. They'd go on and on about how evil we are, and they aren't nearly as gullible. Besides, you wouldn't be able to kill them so easily afterwards."

"I killed Gohan without a problem," stated Seventeen. "He wasn't that tough, and his friends is nothing more than a minor distraction. I could easily eliminate them if I found them. After all, I am the strongest warrior on the planet."

She chuckled, feigning mild annoyance. "Well, I'm off." As she turned to leave she noticed him following her. "Look Seventeen, I don't need a babysitter. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Will you at least tell me where you're going?" Seventeen was curious, and he would often pry when she decided to go off on her own. He really did have something of a sister complex.

Eighteen groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine, I'm going to fly around North City to see if there's anyone still there."

"But we've attacked there so many times," said Seventeen proudly. "I highly doubt there'd be anyone in the vicinity of those ruins."

"I'm sure they'd think you'd say that," replied Eighteen. "I just want to make sure, or at least see what's become of it. We haven't been there in over a year. Besides, we can't go around killing all the time, we've got to give the humana a chance to reproduce."

Seventeen shrugged. "Well good luck with your little expedition Eighteen. I'm going to find a car an play some demolition derby." He got a mischievous glint in his eyes at the word 'demolition'.

Eighteen turned away from him and flew off. "He's such a child," she muttered to herself. _Now what am I going to make Gohan do for me today?_ A light bulb went off in her head followed by a cruel grin forming on her face. _Oh…that'll be fun._

When she arrived at the cave she found Gohan already up. His face held a solemn and sober expression. He looked up from the bed at the object of his torment. Gohan was currently chained to the nearby wall, but he could easily move to any part of his cell including the bathroom.

He looked up at her grinning figure with a serious face. _Well so far…she just forced me to talk to her…and eat dirt…and a bunch of other childish things. Her demands will probably get bolder as time goes on and she refines her 'technique'._ "So what are you going to put me through today?"

Eighteen giggled, leaning down towards him. "My aren't you eager. I've got something special in store for you today." She noticed him tense up at the word special. _This is going to be fun._ "Alright, to start off, you'll refer to me as master from now on." He stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well what's the hold up? Say good morning to me."

Gohan clenched his fist. "Good morning…Master." His mouth had a bitter after taste after saying that. He had a feeling that Eighteen would do everything she could to break him. _She's testing my capacity for sacrifice. She wants to find out where my limit is._

"All right Gohan," said Eighteen, snapping him out of his thoughts. "My back is feeling a bit tense. How about massage?" Removing her sleeveless jacket, she laid, belly down, across his legs, effectively cutting off his escape. "Give me a one armed massage Gohan."

Gohan gave a disgruntled sigh. "Fine…" _Okay Gohan…I'm not sure how nice she wants it to be, but you'll have to do your best. It's the only way to give Trunks a chance._ He shakily reached out before rhythmically patted her back with his one arm. _I don't like this on bit_, thought Gohan as he heard her sigh happily.

Eighteen closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying Gohan's massage. "Oh yes…that hits the spot." She chuckled at the thought of how Gohan looked. "You're doing well Gohan. Keep it up."

Gohan rolled his eyes, and continued his massage for a few more minutes until she told him to stop. He wiped some sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief as she sat up. "What's next, you're feet?" He immediately regretted saying that when he saw the glint in Eighteen's eyes.

"That's a great idea Gohan," replied Eighteen happily. "Thanks for suggesting it." She gave him a wicked grin as she took off her boots and socks. She wiggled her feet in front of his anxious face. _I'll bet he's beating himself up for giving me that idea…but I seriously did enjoy his massage._

Gohan gave a disgruntled sigh before swallowing his pride. "Shall I begin master?" She nodded eagerly, placing her right off in front of his face. _I guess we're starting with the right one then._ He reached up with his arm and grabbed her foot and began stroking the underside with his thumb.

She giggled happily as a slightly ticklish sensation sped through her foot. However, Eighteen was also amused at the annoyed face he was giving her. _He's so cute when he's upset._ "Alright, that's enough. Time for the other foot." Removing her right leg she replaced it with her left.

Gohan was about to massage her left foot when she stopped him with her arm. "What? Don't you want me to massage your left foot…master?"

"I do," replied Eighteen with a sadistic smirk. "However, this time I want you to do it with your tongue."

Gohan's eyes seemed to pop out of his head. "My tongue! How am I supposed to massage you with my tongue? Ew! Why would you want that anyway?" He was definitely flustered.

His embarrassed outburst caused her to laugh. Then she gave him a sly grin before wiggling her toes in front of his face. "Maybe I just like having that wet and moist feeling between my toes." She laughed even harder when he gave her a disgusted face. "Oh don't worry, me feet are quite clean, just feeling tense."

"Ugh…fine I'll do it," replied Gohan with regret. _I'm gonna have to wash my mouth out when this is over._ Using his arm to hold her foot up, he proceeded to lick the underside of her foot. Gohan tried to tune out her constant giggling as he began licking in patterns on the soul of her foot. It made him sick to his stomach, but the benefits outweighed the personal costs.

"That's right Gohan. You're doing good, now how about you get between those toes?" She noticed him cringe and gave him a smug grin as his tongue began moving in between her toes. Throwing her head back, she let out a relaxed sigh. After enjoying the feeling of it wiggling between her toes for a few minutes, she decided to let him off the hook. "Good boy Gohan. Now you can go wash your mouth off."

When Gohan came back, he looked exhausted, though it was more from the mental effort than a physical one. He sat down on the bed next to her and asked the dreaded question. "What's next master?"

Eighteen put a finger to her lips as she thought about what to do next. _I should definitely up the ante. I want to see where he breaks…still, there's only so far I'm willing to go. I don't want to break him ohysically._ "Hey Gohan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," replied Gohan, relieved at his fortune. _At least talking to her doesn't involve anything extreme, even if she's a pain to talk to._

"Alright then, I'd like to know why people are willing to sacrifice things for each other. Don't go into that thing about social bonds, you've told me that before. I just want to know why such a weakness would develop in the first place."

"It wouldn't have developed if it was a weakness," replied Gohan. "Evolution only selects for strengths. I'll start by going back to the beginning. As you know, all life forms are driven by the need for self preservation and self replication, aka reproduction."

"I know that," replied Eighteen. "But wouldn't it be better if everyone looked out for only themselves instead of developing 'bonds' that would leave them weak if they were broken?"

"Not necessarily," replied Gohan. "In fact, none of the things we take for granted today, including our own intelligence, would be possible without bonds. At its core, a bond can be seen as a reason for cooperation with another individual. The most intelligent animals form social bonds, and look out for each other. They say society separates us from the beasts, but it turns out that humans are actually more violent than most animals and the only creatures that even approach our level of violence are the ones that are more intelligent."

"What about all those large predatory dinosaurs? They're not the most intelligent creatures yet they seem violent to me."

"They're only violent when they need to be. They don't go around starting fights for no apparent reason. They don't worry about things like honor or revenge. Even when they are engaged in violence, they first try to intimidate their opponent so the battle doesn't have to take place. All fighting does is waste energy and cause unnecessary pain and damage."

"That's fine, but if humans are so violent, then why isn't it every man for himself?"

"Because if humans had evolved to be solitary creatures, we'd be completely different. On our own, we could easily be outcompeted by larger carnivores in the wild, and great martial artists only had time to develop their skills when others were providing some of their needs for them. A large portion of our brain is for social interaction, and the brain uses a fifth of the average person's calories. If we were loners, then there wouldn't be a need for such a large brain and we wouldn't have a fighting chance against better solo hunters like tigers."

"You got me there," replied Eighteen. "Cooperation is basically there to increase everyone's chances for survival and any civilization is teamwork on a large scale, but what's with things like selflessness. You're not getting anything out of this deal. In what you've been describing, all the participants will benefit, but you're only benefitting them and not yourself. How is that supposed to work?"

"It's because of bonds again. If two people have a bond of friendship, it won't be based on owing someone. It will be based on the fact that if the situation were reversed, then the other person would do the same for you. Off course, that only explains selflessness to your friends. However, in the human world, being more sociable and having more connections is better. The person who did favors for more people had the friendship and alliances with more people. If he ever got into trouble, there would be more people ready to help him. Over time, that has been hardwired into the human brain, becoming selflessness. If what I'm doing still doesn't make sense, then consider this, I'm just one life, and by sacrificing myself, I'm saving many lives."

"That's utilitarianism at its finest," replied Eighteen in an impressed tone. "However, what's to stop someone from weighing her own life as more important and killing and hurting other people to get ahead. Isn't that what capitalism is all about? What's the point of government and society? Shouldn't the strong just be able to do whatever they want?"

To Gohan, it felt like he was talking to a child, he had to be patient with her. "I can see what you're saying, but consider this. The idea behind government is the people giving up a portion of their freedom to live safely together. They don't give up important freedoms, for example, in society; I've given up my right to kill another man. However, that other man has also given up his right to kill me, and the government serves as a mediator between us if something goes wrong."

"What ever happened to settling your own problems?" Gohan could tell that she didn't like the concept of government. "Who are they to decide what is right and wrong? Why should they be the judges?"

"They are people just like the citizens they govern," replied Gohan. "They are no better than anyone else, but being in the government means that they have taken it upon themselves to be a third party in a dispute. If someone were involved in a dispute, he or she would usually try to sort things out to their own advantage. Only a neutral party can render a proper judgment."

Eighteen took a deep breathe before speaking. "So you're saying that all these social bonds and the idea of selflessness are there to bind people together because of safety in numbers. However, to avoid people unfairly exploiting each other or constantly double crossing each other in endless cycles, they give up some of their powers to a ruling third party, which is where the government comes from."

"Now you're getting it," replied Gohan, a small smile coming to his face. "You see; selflessness is based entirely on teamwork and the fact that humans are stronger as a group than as individuals. Even my father wouldn't have become as strong as he had if it hadn't been for this teamwork."

"I still don't get it though," replied Eighteen. "It works fine if you're a normal human, but once you become as strong as you are, you could force anything you want. You could bend those people to your will. You could terrorize them and thrive on their fear like Seventeen and I do."

"That isn't my idea of fun," replied Gohan seriously. "There's absolutely no reason why you can't enjoy living within society as opposed to being an outlaw. I don't want to use my strength to hurt people, because I've been disciplined not to take it for granted. I've been fortunate in my friends and I enjoy living within society. It's as simple as that. If you're looking for some objective morality, then I'm afraid that doesn't exist. Morality is entirely subjective, but that doesn't mean we can't all agree on it.

Eighteen raised an eyebrow and smiled at him. "I guess it comes down to a difference of opinion then. There's no reason you should believe in my way of life and I don't have a reason to believe in your way of life. It's nothing more than a conflict of interests."

"I'm afraid it's not that level" replied Gohan. "My way of life is in the good graces of most beings while you and your brother are hated. What you two are banking on is the fact that nobody can defeat you, yet in my martial arts training, as part of learning humility, I've learned to assume that there will always be someone stronger. If I ever met someone stronger, then more often then not, I wouldn't have anything to fear, because we'd both be civil beings." He gave her a confident smirk. "However, if you met someone stronger than you, more often than not, that person would find you harmful to society and try to destroy you. The system you two prescribe to has no defense for you."

Eighteen laughed loudly. "So you're saying that Seventeen and I should be worried about someone stronger coming along. I don't think something like that will happen, so my previous statement stands."

"Then what happens when all the humans are dead and gone? What will you and your brother do then, 'master'?" He put strong emphasis on that last word, in an attempt to mock her subtly.

Eighteen raised an annoyed eyebrow. "You've got a point there." She seemed thoughtful. "So what do you suggest we do? Seventeen and I are already taking measures to make sure there are enough people to reproduce. Do you really expect us to go to your way of thinking after enjoying our life at the top?"

"I don't," replied Gohan. He could tell that this conversation was over. "So what do you want me to do now?" However, at that moment his stomach grumbled.

Eighteen laughed. "Looks like it's time to feed that saiyan appetite." Eighteen left Gohan to his thoughts as she went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for him.

* * *

I didn't want to make Gohan's torture too extreme, but for anyone who's skeptical of it being torture, would you be willing to lick Eighteen's foot inf you were in his position?


	5. Interest

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

As Gohan finished his meal, he saw her watching him intently. She always did that; she'd watch him with hidden interest like a researcher observing an exotic species. He knew that Eighteen had a genuine interest in what he had to say. What he said had gotten through to her; she just disagreed and wouldn't take it seriously.

She took the plate, but maintained her gaze towards him. He wasn't a threat to her, but it felt alien, watching him in a moment of perceived peace. Gohan wasn't anything like the average person, both in body and mind. Anyone else would've been bitter at their predicament and would never have talked to her the way he did. The saiyan hybrid maintained a clear head and wouldn't allow anger to cloud his judgment or drive him to insanity. He was still making the most of what life had to offer him.

Eighteen briefly rinsed the plate before placing it in the dishwasher, something she made a point to do after all of Gohan's meals. Today it was full, so she started the machine up. She turned around to see him staring at her with a raised eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's just seems like you've always got something on your mind. Care to talk about it?" Gohan's voice held no compassion. He sounded like one of those movie-badass characters that only acted compassionate for the sake of fixing a problem.

"As a matter of fact, there is," replied Eighteen with a calculating smile as she sat on the bed next to him. "You're worst enemy has got you chained to the wall and your ki is inhibited so you can't even use your full power. Now your life depends on someone who you hate and on top of that, you've got to do what I say or I'll kill the people you care about." She sighed, as if she were a teacher with a difficult student. "Why aren't you cracking under the pressure? Why aren't you being bitter…it's almost as if I've been growing on you."

Gohan gave her a wry smile. "You've definitely got a point, and I wouldn't blame anyone for breaking down in this situation." He paused and gave her a look for determination. "You've taken so much away from me, but peace of mind is something you can't take by force, and I won't let you do it. This is one battle that I don't intend to loose, even if you thoroughly trounce me in every physical battle."

"I admire your strength," replied Eighteen as she gave him a genuine smile. "I really do. Mental toughness is an underappreciated skill; everyone seems to value physical strength. However, strength like yours is rare, I doubt even I would have it."

Now Gohan was confused. "Why would you admit a weakness like that to me? It doesn't seem like you to admit that."

Eighteen let out a deep laugh. "Don't let it go to your head. It's not like it'll ever be exploitable. Besides, being full of yourself doesn't suit you at all. You seem more like the humble type."

"Thanks for the compliment," replied Gohan. "You know, it seems to me like you enjoy talking more than killing." He didn't need to say anything further, as she understood what he was insinuating.

"It's just me trying something new. Who knows when I'll get bored with you." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she leaned in towards him with a sneaky grin. "If you think you can talk me out of killing people, then you're sadly mistaken. While our talks are stimulating and thought provoking, they don't affect my view on the world or really convince me that I'm wrong."

"That's unfortunate," replied Gohan. "You could do so much if you put your mind to it. Constructive activities can be just as fun as destruction if you give it a try. It could be anything from art, to growing plants, to construction. You'll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labors for days to come. If you find joy in destroying, it'll be over soon after it begins and the next day, there will be even less for you to enjoy. It's such a waste."

Eighteen began laughing. "What did I tell you about trying to convince me? Don't take that tone as if you're a disappointed schoolteacher. I don't take kindly to that tone. It brings back bad memories."

"Well you seem to be pretty lenient with me," replied Gohan. "By the way, you know a lot about my past due to Dr. Gero's observations…how much do you know?"

Eighteen smiled, looking him over. "Not enough…the only thing he ever bothered recording was your basic accomplishments and a rough estimate of your strengths and weaknesses. Yet I know almost nothing about your motivations or your personality. I have no idea what kind of person you are." She raised an eyebrow, briefly looking him over. "I've found you to be an interesting person, and I won't be ready to let you go until I've got you figured out."

Gohan gave him a skeptical look. "What do you mean by figuring me out. What about me...is so interesting?" He spoke sarcastically.

"Like I said before, I want to know what makes you tick. You're explanation of humanity and why you are the way you are makes me want more. I want to know more, and I enjoy having my mind stimulated. It's something that Seventeen has never managed to do."

Gohan narrowed his eyes. "Which do you enjoy more? Stimulating your mind or killing people?" S_he seems human…so far and I can't see anything different from a normal teenager. It's like she just needs to grow up._

"I can't say I'd be able to rank them. However, I do find both to be quite enjoyable. They fulfill different desires for me." She cupped her chin, grinning at him. "Are you insinuating that I might eventually find a life of peace to be more fun than what Seventeen and I are currently doing? If that's the case then I think you're severely mistaken."

"What a…human reaction." Gohan couldn't help laughing at her annoyed face. "I swear, now that I've actually talked to you, I get the feeling that I'm just talking to a teenager…a mature teenager, but still a teenager."

Placing her hands on her hips, Eighteen glared at him. "Tell me," she said ominously. "How exactly am I like a teenaged human?" She noted that Gohan was unfazed by her intimidation tactics.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise, but you seem interested in the things a normal teenaged girl would like. You enjoy shopping, driving cars, and men. As for your brother, he's like most boys of that age, and likes playing games that involve destruction. Even I was in to videogames like that when I was younger."

"What about our desire to kill people in real life?" Eighteen gave him a smile that told him she'd won. However, she was surprised when he returned that smile before continuing his explanation.

"Actually, as surprising as it sounds, the desire to go on destructive rampages is also quite common amongst angsty teenagers. Now that I think about it, there were times when I wanted to beat my father up, even kill him," said Gohan with a sad smile.

Now she was interested. "So what happened? If you felt like killing your father, then how did you become…like this?"

"I guess I've got you to thank for that," replied Gohan. "Normally, a desire to kill comes from lack of emotional control. I'd feel angry and it would get out of control, but I'd never have what it takes to act on it. I guess that's what separates you two from the average teenager. You've both got the power to act on unhealthy impulses, which means you never take the time to think things through. Any normal teenager would've done that and it would've been enough to bring them out of that state. Off course, with a pair of killer cyborgs terrorizing the population, I was forced to mature, since I realized what it would be like if someone actually went on a killing spree."

"So you're saying that Seventeen and I just haven't grown up yet?" She gave him an amused laugh. "In case you haven't noticed, we don't age. I'm not exactly any older than I was thirteen years ago." She ended her sentence with a sigh, and for a slight moment, it seemed to carry an air of sadness with it.

"I'm inclined to disagree with you," said Gohan. "You don't age physically, but I can tell that experience has affected you. You're still using a teenaged mindset, but you definitely know more and have more wisdom than any teenaged girl." Then a cocky grin formed on his face as he saw an opportunity for a verbal jab. "However, I can't say that you act your age. Your quite immature by that standard."

She arched an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. "Oh really? And why would you say that?"

"You're in your thirties, yet you act like you're still just out of high school. I can hardly call that acting your age. Although, you're definitely more intelligent than a teenager, you seem to display the typical close mindedness, in other words, 'you think you've got everything figured out'."

Her face went blank, yet she continued to stare at him. "You've got a point," replied Eighteen stoically. "I am close-minded, and I do act younger than I really am. But there's one thing I know I can't figure out, and that's you."

Eighteen got up from the bed and went to the gate. Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she said, "I'll be back when it's dinner time, and don't worry, I don't plan on killing anyone."

As she shut the gate and left the cave, Gohan knew that he'd struck a nerve. He knew that there was more to her than a killing machine, or an immature punk. His words were getting to her, though he couldn't be sure what kind of effect they would have.

* * *

"These humans are so pathetic," exclaimed Seventeen as he rammed his car into hordes of people. Eighteen on the other hand was just content to watch him from her perch on a piece of rubble. Seeing a group of them huddled inside a building, he leapt out of the car, causing it to careen into the terrified crowd. The area exploded soon after that, and Seventeen landed near Eighteen with a satisfied smirk.

"You seem proud of yourself brother," said Eighteen with a false smile. However, even a normal person would have been able to tell that she wasn't really happy at the moment. In fact she was very pensive.

"Now I know something's up," said Seventeen with a concerned voice, though she knew that he just wanted her back to normal. "First you're happier than ever, and now you're in deep thought. What are you thinking about?" Then a teasing grin appeared on his face. "Did your boyfriend dump you?"

Eighteen got to her feet so she was almost at Seventeen's eye level. "For the last time, I don't have a boyfriend. Besides, I was just thinking that this doesn't seem like as much fun anymore."

"What doesn't seem fun?" Now Seventeen was truly concerned, though it was more about the future of their games then what Eighteen was feeling.

"Killing humans…it gets old. It's lost the excitement it once had; they don't even fight back anymore. This is all just so…boring. I need some more excitement in my life." She ran a hand through her blonde hair, as if it were a form of stress relief. "I need to do something new."

"Sounds like the perfect setting for Mr. Right to walk in," replied Seventeen jokingly. However, he could tell that she was telling the truth. _What's happening to Eighteen? Why's she acting like this now? It's been fourteen years! She could've been like this before…is she just saying this because the human population is going down?_

As Seventeen was wrapping his brain around what his sister had said, she noticed someone coming towards them. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. _It's that brat again. Still though, even if he's not as strong as Gohan, he's better than the average person, and Gohan could really use an update._

Trunks landed a few feet away from them, his super saiyan aura blazing around him, reflecting his anger and frustration towards them. It was clear that he viewed them as mindless robots, machines of destruction who couldn't ever be reasoned with. Eighteen could tell by his body language that he lacked the savvy or maturity of Gohan going in to this fight. If they were serious, Trunks would be finished without the slightest chance of escape.

The youth pointed a finger at them accusingly, earning looks of amusement. "This is it androids! I've gotten much stronger since the last time we fought. This ends now!" With his small heroic speech finished, he charged headlong towards them without thought for his own safety.

"Ugh, let me handle this Seventeen," said Eighteen as she went out to meet him. _I promised Gohan that I'd let Trunks live if he entertained me. A deal's a deal, so I should keep my end of the bargain._ In spite of her contempt for human society, honesty was something Eighteen hoped to maintain, and while it mostly applied to following through with her threats, she'd also hold herself to the deal with Gohan.

As she easily blocked and dodged all of Trunks' attacks, Eighteen noted the difference between him and Gohan. The boy clearly had less experience, but the flaws of his form went far deeper than that. He lacked the emotional control or maturity that his master had at that age, a fatal flaw in a fight to the death.

Eighteen grinned as she saw an opening. Swiping his feet with her legs, she effectively broke his stance. The super saiyan toppled, falling hard on his back, though most of the damage was to his pride. The cyborg placed her hands on her hips and shook her head with disappointment. "Your fighting style is so sloppy, and you're letting your anger get the better of you. Gohan would be so disappointed."

Watching in the background, Seventeen couldn't help laugh at her statement, which he thought was pure mockery. "Man, that should really get him fired up." His prediction came true as Trunks leapt back to his feet, his aura expanding along with his rage.

"Don't ever say his name! You have no right to talk about Gohan! You don't know anything about him!" Trunks leapt back and began gathering energy in his palms. Raising his hands above his head, he quickly formed a large golden ball of ki, and yelled "Finish Buster!"

As the attack came towards her, Eighteen had plenty of time to think of what to do next. I could easily take the full force of that attack without damage to myself…but then my clothes would be ruined. She shrugged before extended her hand and firing a significantly smaller ki blast into the attacking, causing it to explode and blow Trunks back with its shockwave.

When Trunks recovered, he was in a building and could here the cyborgs laughing outside. He realized that he wasn't as damaged as he though he'd be by now. _She's holding back on me! She's just been toying with me…they're not taking me seriously!_ This notion caused his rage to build, though it was just blind anger and didn't help at all. When he erupted from the building, Eighteen was waiting for him.

"That was a very sloppy attack," said Eighteen. "You know, you're not doing a good job of filling Gohan's shoes. It's almost sad, but you're not much of a challenge to us. Oh and if you're going to put that much ki into an attack, make sure you have what it takes to control it."

"I don't need you lecturing me," replied Trunks angrily. "You've got nothing on me! Gohan trained me personally, and I will do him proud! If he could beat you one on one, then I can too." This caused Seventeen to laugh, further confusing the young saiyan.

"I assume you're referring to our battle at Super World," said Seventeen mockingly. "If that's the case, then I'm afraid you're mistaken. I was only using less than half my strength that time. I was easily able to kill Gohan with my full power."

Trunks' eyes widened. "No! You lie! I know he could beat you!"

Seventeen shrugged. "I guess it's okay for you to believe what you want, but what; really important is that you can't beat either of us one on one, let alone together." Seventeen locked eyes with him, giving him a cheeky grin. "As far as super saiyans are concerned, you're just a pathetic fool. You're sloppier than Vegeta when I called him a monkey and weaker than Gohan when he first transformed."

Now Trunks was furious. In fact his anger rose to a point where it blinded him completely. This wasn't the anger Gohan wanted him to tap into, it was just blind rage, which was useless in combat. As Trunks blazed towards Seventeen, Eighteen intercepted him and in one swift motioned, knocked him out with a kick to the back of the head.

Eighteen raised an annoyed eyebrow as she stared down at the boy, knowing that her attack hadn't caused any serious damage. _This guy is supposed to defeat us? Well at least now he won't do anything stupid and get himself killed._ "What a fool, he forgot all about me when you insulted him." She turned to her brother with a proud smirk. "Let's leave him here to wallow in shame."

"Fine by me," replied Seventeen as he took off to go home. He didn't suspect a thing, though he was slightly surprised that Eighteen put that much effort into critiquing Trunks' technique. Normally she'd just call him weak, but it wasn't anything worth dwelling on. As far as her recent behavior went, this was the most normal thing she'd done in a while.

With Seventeen gone, Eighteen decided to give Gohan an update. She knew that he would be especially interested in how Trunks fought as well as how he was doing. It honestly impressed Eighteen how much Gohan cared for the boy. _What I wouldn't give for someone to care for me like that_, thought Eighteen as she flew towards the cave.

* * *

For those of you who're wondering, no I was not bashing Trunks in that last scene. Based on what I've seen in 'The History of Trunks' as far his personality as well as my own ideas about how strong he could be, I felt this scene would be more logical than having him do better against the androids. Anyway, as you can probably tell, I'm trying to slowly build chemistry between Gohan and Eighteen.


	6. Guilt

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan was mildly surprised when he heard Eighteen entering the cave. Normally when she said she'd be back to give him dinner, she'd come at least a few hours after she left. This time, it had barely been three hours since she left him in silence.

"You're back early," commented Gohan as she entered his cell. "Is there any particular reason why?" He could tell that she was itching to tell him something. Apparently, something had annoyed her and she needed to vent on him. It was something she had often done in the time since he made the deal with her.

"I ran into your stupid apprentice, that Trunks kid." Gohan sat upright, leaning closer to her to hear more. "That kid is in way over his head. Not only is he weak, but also he fights recklessly. It's a good thing I fought him instead of Seventeen, otherwise he would've been killed."

It seemed like a strange thing to vent on, and Gohan couldn't help feeling sorry for Trunks. Knowing her as well as he did, she would've taunted him into blinding rage and that would do him in. However this was still a strange thing to be upset about. "Why are you so annoyed about it? You act as if it's something personal."

"It's just that I promise you I'd keep him alive if you did what I told you. You've kept your end of the bargain and I value honesty," she let out a sigh and smiled at his shocked face. "What? Did you think we were liars in addition to cold-blooded killers? Anyway, how am I supposed to make the fight seem convincing to Seventeen if I have to go so easy on the boy? I had to make up an excuse to convince Seventeen to let him live."

"Can't you just stop Seventeen by force or something?"

Eighteen shook her head. "He's stronger than I am, and even though he wouldn't directly resist me if I got in his way, he'd still find Trunks when I wasn't around and kill him." She gave him a frustrated glare, telling him that there was another rant coming. "He always does that! Whenever I let someone live on a whim, he just kills him or her when my back is turned! It makes me look bad…like I'm a liar! I am not a liar!"

"You're lying to your brother," replied Gohan calmly, earning a death glare from her.

"That doesn't count. It's not as if I'm not keeping my word. I never said I would kill you myself if you turned up after the battle, I'm just hiding you from my brother and you'd do well to be grateful for it. Anyway, Seventeen…I just feel like he takes things too far sometimes."

"How far is too far? How do you know it's not already too far?" Gohan's comment pushed her into thought as she tried to find a response to it. "There doesn't seem to be anything socially wrong with you," added Gohan. "You just seem frustrated and angry about something, and you can't find a place in society because of it."

She gave him a cold laugh. "I don't need you psychoanalyzing me. I just don't trust humans. I'd rather take life into my own hands instead of being forced to 'fit in' with the crowd. Herd mentality is something I find very unappealing."

"Same here," replied Gohan. "However, that's why I like living in less densely populated areas. I only ever went into the cities to visit things or fight you and your brother. Being a member of society only means conforming to the rules, which aren't as restricting as you might think…well at least not for adults. I you'd rather not be swayed by large crowds then live a life of solitude or live in a more sparsely populated area. There are plenty of ways out there to enjoy life." He saw a change in her mood; he could tell that she was unhappy about something. "Why don't you trust people?"

She became quiet, and avoided eye contact for a few moments before looking at him with a blank facial mask. "Dr. Gero." She said it in a dark and depressed tone. "He ruined everything."

Now Gohan was really interested. In fact, it seemed like he was almost showing concern for her. "What did he do to you?" He sounded like a concerned friend, and Gohan had to resist the urge to put a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't used to not comforting someone when they were upset.

"As you know, we were humans once," said Eighteen, as she tried to maintain her facial mask. "We weren't exactly upstanding citizens, in fact we were once part of a biker gang. We'd roam the countryside terrorizing whomever we wanted and challenged rival gangs." She seemed fond of those past memories. However her face quickly darkened as she recalled the day when it came crashing down. "Dr. Gero took that away from us…when he turned us into…what we are now."

Gohan raised and eyebrow. "You must've had a rough childhood for you to do that." She gave him a perplexed look and he continued. "People normally join gangs to fill the void left in the absence of a family. I have a feeling that your feelings run much deeper than Dr. Gero."

Eighteen gave him a false smile, it was meant to be spiteful, though it came off as a cheap attempt to distract him from her bitterness. "Why are you so interested in my feelings? Aren't I just an enemy to you? Or perhaps I'm just a bitter half robot, half teen freak."

"I don't know if you're any of those things," replied Gohan. "All I know is that you're a person with your own personality. You're not a mindless, lifeless robot and you respond to things the way most humans would. Besides, it's good to know your enemy."

She masked her discomfort with a cruel grin. "Very well, I'll give you the gist of what kind of life I had." Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to delve into the memories of her unpleasant past. "My parents were far from the best and they were never around when we needed them. We went to school and did everything good little boys and girls should do, yet none of it helped. My brother and I relied on our strength to carry us through."

"You joined the biker gang to become more powerful?" Eighteen nodded affirmatively. "Sounds like a classic case. It happens all the time nowadays in your aftermath. I've seen kids who've given up on human kindness because all the adults in that area are dead. They've bonded with each other and formed gangs to protect themselves from everyone else. They're not evil, yet they distrust the world. I've heard them ask why anyone would ever make the androids, and all I can ever say is that whoever did it was clearly evil."

"So now you're comparing me to kids?"

"No, what I'm getting at is that the only reason people need to form gangs and go around 'asserting' themselves is because they lack the self esteem. They don't believe that people will respect them if they don't throw their weight around." Gohan's face took on a sad, yet serious appearance. "This causes them to grow up as gang lords or violent and abusive adults. They're not inherently evil and malicious, but they've grown accustomed to surviving on fear."

She stared at him angrily, she was clearly annoyed with what he was implying. "So what are you saying? That I'm insecure about myself and all I need is love or something corny like that? I've got my brother. He cares for me and he'll continue to care for me, even if I lost all my strength…even if I became a human somehow."

"That still counts as a gang though," replied Gohan. "Besides, would your brother really let you change? As far as I know, he destroys any man in you life because he disapproves; in fact, he seems to be in the habit of 'amending' any parts of your life he finds undesirable. Do you truly trust him completely?" Gohan took a deep breath, and gauged her reaction to his words. He saw her giving him a look that told him to continue. "I wasn't saying that you needed love. All I'm saying is that both you and your brother need someone outside of yourselves that you can trust. That way, you'll have someone who can support you if something goes wrong or forgive you for any mistakes you make."

Eighteen began laughing again, but it wasn't a mocking laugh or anything intended to put down Gohan's statement. "Who would ever be like that to me? You're right, I doubt even my brother is that trustworthy. Why should I trust anyone after how cruel humanity has been to me?"

Gohan frowned at her. _It's not as if she's not taking my words seriously, she just doesn't have faith in humanity. She's definitely not an idiot._ "Look, I know you were dealt a bad hand in life, and the people you and your brother grew up with were jackasses. However, they are by no means a representative for all of humanity."

"I can tell," replied Eighteen as she smiled at him. "Tell me Gohan, why is it that people seem so exclusive though? Without the government there to make decisions they seem to make double standards for their own friends. Their benefits seem exclusive to those around them."

"That's the whole point of friendship," replied Gohan. "There wouldn't be any point in being friends with someone if that person treated you the same as everyone else. A person would always treat his friends better than random people, and give them benefits first. Don't forget, humans still evolved within a competitive world."

"What about you Gohan?" Eighteen was now eyeing him intently. She was very interested how he would answer her. "You're nothing like that. You seem to help people no matter what. Even if you've just got a handful of friends, you help so many strangers."

"It's my morality," replied Gohan. "Based on my morals I feel the need to help everyone. Even people who are in gangs, because chances are, they never had to chance to be anything different."

"Would you help…me?"

"What?" Gohan's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow. "Why would I help you?"

"You said you'd help those who've turned off the 'right' path, and you said I was no different from the teenage gang members. Would you help me?"

He couldn't read her at the moment. She was putting up a facial mask because she wanted his answer to be based on his own beliefs and not on what she currently desired. "Maybe," replied Gohan in an awkward voice. He didn't feel comfortable committing to either 'yes' or 'no'. "It depends on your interest. I said you were mentally like those teenagers, but you've got the physical strength to forge your own path and use sheer force to overcome obstacles. You don't need to be coddled as much as they do and I'll only help you if you're interested in it."

Eighteen narrowed her eyes. "I've been thinking…killing humans isn't as fun as it used to be." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I want something more…something that I can enjoy forever."

"I've already told you, doing constructive things is something that you can enjoy forever. There will always be some work to do, and you can always be proud of what you can accomplish, not to mention enjoying the fruits of your labor."

Eighteen gave him an annoyed frown. "That sounds awfully boring. Isn't there something more…exciting to do?"

"Sure, there are plenty of exciting ways to have fun without any sort of destruction involved," replied Gohan in a serious tone. "However, you and your brother have destroyed almost all of them. Sports, amusement parks, and various daredevil type activities are all fun and exciting. However, even they require some patience. Deferred gratification is one of the realities in life. If you want to make an honest living, then you can't expect to have fun thrown at your feet, unless you enjoy everyday life."

She still wasn't convinced. _He's not doing a very good job selling the life of a good guy to me._ "What do you enjoy Gohan?"

Gohan hadn't really thought about that. His entire free, adult, life had been spent in the androids' shadow. Before that, he was still a kid, and even though he agreed with his mother about studying for the future, the majority of it wasn't something he would call fun. In fact, besides a few get-togethers with his friends or family moments such as trips to the park, he only ever had much fun while fighting.

Eighteen raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Don't tell me you didn't have any fun. If you're going to tell me that you can have fun living a 'normal' life, then it's a good idea to have an example ready."

"But it was fun," replied Gohan. "To tell you the truth, I really took it for granted. There were some things that bored me, and others that I just wanted to go away. However, once they were gone, I realized just how much better my life was with them. For one thing, I never liked studying much, however I learnt a lot from it and I'm grateful on hindsight." Gohan let out a sad sigh. "I don't think I can answer you properly though, because I never enjoyed that peaceful life as an adult, my only memories are from my childhood, which was when I didn't have as much freedom as I could've had. I spent my entire childhood preparing for an adult life that never came."

As she listened to his sad monologue, Eighteen felt something new well up inside her. _Why am I feeling so sad? He's the one with the sob story, so why do I feel like I've been hurt?_ She decided to brush such feelings aside in place of something more 'in-character'. "Well that's just too bad for you then."

"You know, your sympathy seems to have died a long time ago." Gohan gave her a serious look. "You've got no remorse whatsoever. It's the mark of a true serial killer. You've been able to suppress those emotions so they don't interfere with you anymore."

"You're mistaken," replied Eighteen with a cruel grin. "Seventeen and I don't feel such emotions at all. We don't do guilt." Part of her knew she was lying, or at least guessed as much, but she was too preoccupied with gauging his reaction to notice.

Gohan shook his head with disappointment. "Congratulations then." His voice carried no anger or bitterness, though it did have a cocky undertone. "You've now been demoted from serial killer to psychopath."

She really didn't like that statement. It was one thing to be considered a social outcast, or a murderer, but another thing to be considered a crazy psychopath. Within moments, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanking him to look her in the eye. "I am not crazy!"

"I'm afraid you've misunderstood what the psychopath means," replied Gohan calmly. "Being a psychopath means that your mind is sick…well that's a bit of a rough definition, but it gets the point across. If what you said about being unable to feel guilt is true, then that part of your brain is damaged so in some sense, you're mentally sick. If that's true, then there's not point in seeking redemption, because psychopaths are incapable of changing."

She didn't like listening to him now. He was taking her self-image ad turning it on its head. Eighteen's eyes widened for a moment before she let go of his collar, causing him to fall back on the bed. _I am not sick! I am not mentally ill…but I can't feel guilty…can I feel guilty?_ "NO!"

Gohan was startled by her outburst. _Looks like I struck a nerve…guess she's not used to looking in the mirror._ He looked up as she stood up, looming over him with an angry glare. Gohan expected the worst. _I guess this is it…maybe I shouldn't have gone so deep, guess I want be able to keep her from Trunks anymore._

Eighteen noticed that he wasn't squirming under her threatening gaze like most people would. _He isn't afraid of dying…why? Maybe he wants me to kill him._ Eighteen took a deep breath to calm down. "I'm leaving. I'll be back to give you dinner." She turned and walked out without waiting for a reply.

As she flew out of the cave, Eighteen felt different. She didn't like the feeling at all. Recalling Gohan's words about his ruined childhood, she felt as if his pain were hers as well. She almost felt as if doing that to him was a mistake. Eighteen knew Gohan's diagnosis of her as a psychopath was wrong, but was it because she had lied to him?

To Eighteen, the people she had killed were like soulless beings with little to no depth at all. She was a very superficial person with the men she had 'enjoyed,' and the only person she really knew was her own brother. Gohan was the first other person she had ever had a meaningful conversation with, and she began to realize just how complex people could be. The saiyan hybrid seemed like a tough as nails badass on the outside, but on the inside he was a broken man.

_I made him what he is today_, thought Eighteen before catching the direction of her thoughts. _I couldn't possibly feel guilty about that…I don't accept his kind of justice…I don't care if he thinks what I did to him was wrong!_ However, as she recalled his life story since her arrival on the scene, she couldn't help drawing parallels between it and her of life after being kidnapped by Dr. Gero.

"What's wrong Eighteen? You look upset about something." Eighteen had been too busy thinking to realize that she was nearing home. Seventeen could easily pick her out and recognize that she was off her game. "Mind telling me what's gotten into you all of a sudden? I've never seen that look before."

"It's nothing," replied Eighteen as she put her facial mask back on. "Nothing is wrong with me. You must've seen things." She landed and walked past him into the house. As he moved to follow her, Eighteen turned to glare at him.

Seventeen knew that look well; it meant that she wasn't in a talking mood. He narrowed his eyes and watched her suspiciously as she went inside. _There's definitely something eating at her, and I want to know what it is. I'll find out eventually._ Seventeen then grinned before turning to go for a walk.

* * *

This is probably the major turning point in Eighteen's psychology. Also, I'll try and get this up to the point where Trunks is ready to go back in time, but that would be two years ahead. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.


	7. Mental Strife

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

People wouldn't think that cyborgs needed to sleep, though their infinite energy generators helped spread tat myth. The truth was that sleeping wasn't just about recovering energy, there was something else going on that Dr. Gero couldn't replace. So Eighteen was now lying in her bed, trying to get some sleep.

Her thoughts were drifting, like they always did before sleep. However, this time, they were focused on something else. It had been a long time since she had remembered Dr. Gero's horrific experiments, and how horribly scarred she had come out from them. She remembered looking in her bathroom mirror after taking a shower.

Flashback:

_Eighteen stared at her body in all its naked glory. Everything seemed so perfect and smooth, not a mole in sight. It was…too perfect._

_Her fists clenched tightly, as if her flawless skin, and face, which had been a source of pride for her just a few days ago, was now just a slap in her face. Her gaze drifted to her belly where Dr. Gero had implanted her infinite energy device. It looked too normal to have been subjected to anything of that sort._

_Running a hand through her hair, she tried to feel for the scar from when Dr. Gero integrated a computer chip with his collected data with her own brain. To her chagrin, it wasn't there; it had been glossed over by the perfect scalp._

_She stared down at her perfectly smooth hands. They could easily rip through a car, yet lacked the calices that came with such training. They looked like the delicate hands of a seamstress, soft to the touch._

_She couldn't take it anymore. "It's a lie! It's all a dirty lie!" However, she quickly clasped her hands over her mouth before her eyes shifted to the door. Thankfully, her brother hadn't heard. If he had, he might have thought her crazy._

End.

Eighteen also couldn't help comparing herself to Gohan. His body had several scars from his battles with her and Seventeen. Then there was his arm, something he could never get back. She on the other hand had everything covered up under a veil of beautiful skin. She was a lie and he was real, something about that didn't feel right to her.

_Why does he have to live with his scars while my brother and I live this…this lie_? She was too tired to correct herself. Letting out a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. "Poor Gohan," she mumbled before becoming fully unconscious.

* * *

"Please…" an old man struggled to stand up as he stared up into Eighteen's malicious eyes. "Please let me live."

Her eyes narrowed in contempt. "You're an old fart. Why should I spare you, you've lived long enough. You probably had a good life long before my brother and I came here."

"B-But…my granddaughter…she needs me." He was clearly struggling to speak.

Turning her nose up at him, she extended her hand at the frightened man. "If she's lived this long, then she can take care of herself." She blasted him without even flinching. Spitting on the ashes of the fallen man, she turned around to see her brother grinning at her. "What?"

"You seemed pretty fired up just now." Seventeen wasn't taking her seriously, simply brushing her temper off as another mood swing of their perpetually teenaged lives. "What's got you so angry Eighteen?"

"I just can't stand old men begging for their lives," replied Eighteen. "They've lived long enough. People don't need them around anymore, they're just parasites mooching off everyone else." Her eyes darkened. "Dr. Gero was an old man too."

"So you're saying that if he was a young man, you'd spare him?" Seventeen couldn't help chuckling as she shot him a glare. "What? I had to say it."

"I'll kill anyone who begs for mercy. Especially if they make up stupid excuses like that."

Seventeen raised an eyebrow and gave her a skeptical look. "You knew he was lying about his granddaughter?" She nodded, further perplexing him. "How?"

"I just have a sharp sense for cowardice. He was more afraid to die that afraid for her, and I can tell." Her brother bought the lie, and she knew that real reason why he was lying. _The old fart was nothing like Gohan at all. Gohan would've tried to crawl away from me, instead of begging for mercy._

"Hey Eighteen, I'm going over there." Seventeen point to a nearby sports stadium. It was a classic hiding place for people when the city was under siege. He knew she'd heard and turned to walk towards the area.

Eighteen decided to find a group of hapless victims. She and Seventeen had conducted an initial bombing, effectively shutting down the city's infrastructure. None of the support systems were active, and attempting to leave would have the air of a post apocalyptic movie. There was no rush; the people would still be here.

She decided to enter a shopping mall, a popular hangout for refugees and a place she liked to visit when stopping by a city. Walking through the mall, she heard a cry for help, thus wetting her appetite for murder. However, when she arrived she found a group of people who had been trying to help a man under a fallen garden tree.

Upon seeing her, the group scattered, leaving the trapped man and at her mercy. A cruel grin crossed her face as she advanced on him at a deliberately slow pace. The man was clearly scared however, as she got closer, a small object flew past her, distracting her momentarily. When she shrugged it off and turned back to her target, she saw another man helping him.

The trapped man was clearly surprised as his savior helping him to his feet and supported him as they began running. "Why? I'm just dead weight?"

"You're a person," replied the other man. "Helping those in need is what separates us from the beasts." He knew that she could easily catch them and so didn't bother looking back as he moved as quickly as possible.

Normally, she would make sure to blast them both into oblivion, but now she was feeling somewhat off. That man's selflessness reminded her of Gohan. Unlike that old man she had killed, this man was clearly selfless in his intent, and the fact that he did as Gohan would compelled her let them get away.

She stared down at her hand, as if it was responsible for her out of character behavior. _Why am I like this? What's changed?_ Her thoughts broke when she heard someone cowering in a nearby store behind her. Turning around, she blasted the person away without a second thought. When that was done, she felt even more confused.

Gohan's face popped into her head. _It's his fault! Whenever something reminds me of him, I can't destroy it!_ Her face scrunched as she became frustrated with herself. She began clenching and unclenched her fist, yet her hand remained tense.

"Calm down sis," said Seventeen jokingly as he approached her. She stopped and turned to look at him with a blank and unreadable face, though he could tell that she was embarrassed. "The humans are all either dead or out of the area. There's nothing left for us here, we should go home now."

"Right," replied Eighteen with a nod. Her brother turned and walked out of the mall, and she followed. However, as they took to the air, she stopped him. "I feel like going off on my own for a while. I won't be going home with you."

He stared at her blankly for a few seconds before giving her a confident smirk. "Go right ahead Eighteen, You know I'm not the boss of you. I can tell that you're off your game. Good luck figuring things out."

"Thanks Seventeen," replied Eighteen before turning away from him and flying off. She knew her brother wouldn't follow her and decided to head towards the cave where Gohan was. It was time for his lunch, and she felt that she had to see him.

* * *

Trunks let out a sorry sigh as he walked into his mother's lab to find her working on her 'crazy science project'. Shaking his head, he walked up to her and offered her his help. "Mom, don't you think you're putting a little to much time into…" He tried to think of a way to put it politely.

Bulma couldn't help laughing at him. Unlike his father who would just say things bluntly, Trunks was always careful with his choice of words. His ultra-polite attitude had stemmed from the fact that he never wanted a relationship to end on a sour note, and with two killer androids terrorizing the planet, there was no telling if your encounter with a someone would be the last time you saw him alive.

"I know you think I'm crazy Trunks," replied Bulma. "However, I'm sure this will turn out to be just what we need. If we can't alter what the androids did in this world, we can at least create a better world in which many people will live out their lives happily."

"But mom, it's a time machine! No one's ever built a time machine before! How can you be sure it will work?"

"Your grandpa was the first to invent capsule products and through that, he made a name for himself. Nobody though something as large as a car could be compressed to such a small size, but he did it."

"But he wasn't trying to travel through time!"

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a sigh before turning to him with a hopeful smile. "Look Trunks, we've got nothing left to lose…well almost nothing, but you get the idea. If there is a possible way out of this, then we have to give it a try. What's the worst that could happen if it doesn't work as opposed to us just waiting for the androids to kill us?"

"But they won't kill us," replied Trunks enthusiastically. "I'm a super saiyan now. I can take them."

"Gohan was a super saiyan too, but that wasn't enough. Your father was a super saiyan, and he couldn't do it either. You're attempts don't end any different Trunks," said Bulma regrettably. "The only difference is that you're still alive."

Trunks gave her a sour look. "I can do it…I know I can. I'll show you. I'll train and become the strongest super saiyan of all. Then I'll beat the androids and make everyone proud."

Bulma couldn't help smiling at him. _He really is your son Vegeta…just a little nicer, that's all.

* * *

_

Gohan wasn't very surprised when he saw Eighteen was in a sour mood. She had stormed into the cave and proceeded to prepare some food for him without a word to him. Sitting up in the bed, he watched warily as she came into the cell with a tray of food. He half expected her to beat him up.

"Here," she said, handing him the tray. "Eat up." Eighteen put up a facial mask to disguise her inner tension.

As he ate, Gohan felt uncomfortable under her intense stare. He kept looking up to meet those cold blue eyes, just to make sure she wasn't going to come at him suddenly. While he'd considered himself as good as dead, Gohan still hoped that he could remain alive as long as possible, being that he was eating up a chunk of Eighteen's time every day.

Eighteen grew annoyed with the tense situation. She didn't like remaining silent like this. "What?" He turned to look at her, as if expecting her to continue. "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm like this?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow. _She wanted me to talk to her? I thought she wanted me to shut up so she could get out of here faster_. "Um…I didn't want to disturb you. I looks you've got something on your mind."

"It's your fault," replied Eighteen.

Now Gohan was confused, and he gave her a skeptical frown. "How's it my fault? In fact, why don't you tell me what I'm responsible for?"

"I can't kill the way I used to. Sometimes I have the drive to kill, but other times I don't!" She wasn't going to admit that she lots her drive when she saw someone who reminded her of him. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're trying to brainwash me, aren't you?"

"Define brainwashing," replied Gohan.

"You're trying to turn me into a gooddoer, like you! I won't let you do this to me! I'm not going to let you corrupt my thinking with your fancy words."

He gave her a small grin. "I thought you enjoyed hearing my 'fancy words'."

"It's like a drug. It feels good at first, but has terrible side effects. I know better now. I'm not going to let you worm your way into my head."

Gohan was amused by this turn of events, but he knew better than to show it completely. "Well, if my words are like a drug, then that means that you'll get addicted to them. How can you be so sure that you'll be able to stop yourself? Besides, it might not be such a bad thing."

Eighteen gave him a sly smirk. _He's got a point, but I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that._ "I'm not addicted to hearing you talk, although it was nice while it lasted." She bent towards him and looked him in the eye with a dangerous stare. "Don't think for one moment, that I feel the need to keep you here. You're entertainment at best, and I'd have no problem throwing you out on a whim." She sat back up with a satisfied grin.

After staring at her for about a minute, he broke down into laughter. "You're so uptight. Is this really affecting you that much?" His face straightened out when he saw her glaring at him. "Seriously though, lacking the desire to kill people is not a bad thing."

"It's not that I lack the desire to kill," replied Eighteen. "I just feel unable to do it sometimes. I want to kill someone, but…I just loose my drive. I can't do and they get away…off course this only happens sometimes."

"There's nothing wrong with that either. Call it what you want, but it sounds like you really don't want to kill those people who seem to suck your drive away." _ All right…It's time to take a leap of faith._ "I'm going to take a wild guess, but the people you do kill might have a quality about them that you dislike, while you don't feel the need to kill anyone else. Am I correct?"

Damn he's close! "Off course you're wrong, I don't like ANY human. This is just happening randomly, like a malfunction in my systems. I don't need your clever logic Gohan, and you would do good to remember your place as my pet."

"You seem to be too smart for my clever logic to trick you though," replied Gohan.

"Don't try to sweet talk me," replied Eighteen. "I won't be taken by anything you say. I've made the mistake of taking you too seriously."

"Do you really consider it a mistake? Did you really regret hearing what I had to say, or are you just afraid of changing, even though it's already happening?" Gohan knew that he was playing with fire, but he was ready to die. The original Eighteen would've killed him without a second thought, but if is theory was correct she wouldn't hurt him, only posture to try and intimidate him into submission.

He was proven right. "Shut up," said Eighteen angrily. "I'm the boss around here, and you're out of line, questioning me like that. I should just kill you!"

"Then why not kill me?" Gohan met her stare with an equally determined gaze. "I don't like being cooped up in here and relying on my enemy for food. Why don't you do us both a favor and end my life?"

"I'll do it when I feel like it," replied Eighteen defensively. Unable to continue the conversation any longer, she decided to change the subject. "Your food's getting cold. Better eat it before it's too late." Sighing inwardly as Gohan began eating, she began collecting her thoughts, watching him intently with a facial mask.

Gohan finished his meal in silence before handing the tray to Eighteen. After placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, she came back and shut the gate, indicating that she was about to leave. He decided to give her a parting message. "You know you're in denial."

Eighteen's blood boiled at his arrogance. "And your living life on a razor's edge," she muttered in a low voice so he couldn't hear. She slammed the door to the cave shut before taking off to meet her brother, hoping that she'd be able to kill the next human she saw.

* * *

For those of you who've been waiting intently for this, sorry for the wait, though college should be over soon...well sometime around May 15 for me. Anyway, just to clarify, Trunks should be over 15 by now (he is 14 during the battle at superworld and there is a one year gap between that battle and the fight where Gohan "dies", and now a few more months have passed). He's 17 when he enters the time machine, so I'll try to increase the pacing to get to that point.


	8. Compassion

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

A few weeks had passed and Eighteen had continued to resist engaging Gohan in anything too deep. He could tell that she was now more closed off to him than she had been before. However, he didn't mind, even if it as fun. For Gohan, even if she was his enemy, engaging in an intellectual debate with her had been a refreshing change from fighting for his life.

It wasn't as if he enjoyed her company in particular, but like all other humans, or half humans in his case, he was a social being. He didn't like being locked out, even if she was his only option for social interaction. Yet, his aversion to her kept him from actively attempting to engage her in conversation again. It was clear that she didn't want to engage him in open conversation, and even if he didn't respect her, it was against his principles to force anything like that.

She walked into the cave, and as per their new routine, she began preparing a simple meal for him. He noted that she was getting better at it, something that affirmed her place as a mostly organic being as opposed to a machine.

However, today, Gohan's spirits were lower than usual. Today was a very special day, and this would be the first time that he wouldn't be around to celebrate it. It was one of the few times when he and the people close to him could get together and have a party, in spite of what the cyborgs had done.

Eighteen immediately took notice of this. She was better at reading him than he thought. Though she knew it had nothing to do with her own change in behavior, Eighteen couldn't help feeling compelled to find out what was going on. Placing the tray on a bedside table, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, firmly gripping it to catch his attention.

He turned to look at her with a blank, and dazed expression. "Oh, sorry about that. I guess I just spaced out for a moment." He knew it was a lie, though he didn't think she would care.

"You're lying," replied Eighteen frankly, releasing her grip on his shoulder and then crossing her arms. She obviously expected an explanation. "I have no idea what you do when I'm not here, but you're usually more alert when I come by. So what's wrong?"

"It's Trunks birthday," replied Gohan with a crestfallen expression. "This is the first time I'm not going to be there to celebrate it." Gohan spoke in a depressed tone, which seemed to undermine the strength he had displayed in her previous conversations with him. It was as if the hopelessness of his predicament hadn't hit him until now.

Eighteen was now curious about this change in his persona. "How did you know what the date was?"

"I remembered the date of the last time I fought your brother. You then told me how long I have been out and I've been calculating the dates every since. I've had nothing better to do in you absence."

"Impressive," replied Eighteen, though it did nothing to lift his mood. "Are you sad about this?" It was a stupid and obvious question, though in her case, it was understandable.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw an inquisitive, yet emotionally devoid expression. "Off course I'm sad," replied Gohan. "I don't need to break down and cry to be sad."

"I don't like it," replied Eighteen frankly. "I don't like it when you're sad."

Raising an eyebrow, he turned to her with a frown. "Well that's just too bad," replied Gohan. "It's one thing you can't solve with your power."

Eighteen narrowed her eyes before grabbing him by the hair and glaring into his eyes. "Stop feeling sad." She spoke in a threatening tone that could easily be used to coerce someone. However, he only gave her a sad smile.

"Sorry, but you can't force my emotions with threats, especially false threats. I could easily put on a face and say that I'm better, but we'd both know that I wasn't feeling any better." His expression held no bitterness, yet it had the same spiteful effect.

Eighteen's eyebrow twitched as let go of his hair and stood up straight, glaring down at him. She clearly didn't like being denied her demands. "Just eat your food." She turned to leave. "Put it on the bedside table when you're done, I'll be back soon."

* * *

"Happy Birthday Trunks!" Bulma, Chichi, the Ox King, and all of the residents of Kame House had gathered together in one place. It wasn't at Capsule Corp. like it had been for his first birthday. Instead, they all fixed a location away from any of their homes where they could all meet up.

It was the only day that they were all together. There was a silent agreement between all of them to forgo their own birthday celebrations, and keep them more private. They all felt sorry for Trunks because he had never known what it was like to live in happy times. It was they least they could do for him.

"Thanks everyone," replied Trunks as they all sat around a table. This was meant to be a happy day, so none brought up the fact that one of them was missing. Trunks cut the cake and each person got their share.

Trunks had undergone a growth spurt since he last saw Gohan. The boy was now a sixteen year old, and already taller than his father had been, as his mother proudly proclaimed. At his side, there was a beautiful sword, which he had found among the ruins of a depopulated city. He had since been practicing with it.

"So Trunks, Bulma tells me you've become a super saiyan," said Chichi.

"Yes, I am," replied Trunks, though he hoped that nobody would get into how he became a super saiyan. The memories were still painful. "I should be able to destroy the androids soon. I've kept training every day."

"Even if he doesn't, my time machine will be ready soon. He should be able to travel back to the past within a year."

"So you're planning to change history so the androids never happened?" asked Master Roshi in a serious and pensive tone.

Bulma shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid that would be impossible. All we can do is create an alternate realty. We will not be able to undo this reality, but Trunks can give Goku the antidote to the heart virus. Then he will be able to defeat the androids in the altered timeline and create a better world."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but that can't be all we're going to do in the past." Everyone looked to him with raised eyebrows. "Assuming the thing works, we might be able to discover a weakness of the androids. One that we can use to defeat them."

"Be careful what you wish for Trunks," replied Master Roshi. "Not to squash your idea, but if you go looking for information about the androids, you could alter the timeline more than necessary and that might have unforeseen consequences."

"I guess you're right," replied Trunks. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to try if possible. Anyway, why don't we change the subject? I had enough of this talk about androids." Everyone else agreed with him, and they proceeded to talk about happier things.

* * *

Eighteen knew that Trunks was likely to be at Capsule Corp. She wasn't sure why she was doing this, and didn't care to make a guess for fear of where that answer would take her. Upon a quick inspection of the house, she noted that nobody was inside, there were no signs of activity, and so she decided to chance entering. However, once inside, a piece of paper on the kitchen table caught her attention.

A small smile crossed her features when she realized that it was a clandestine message of where Trunks' party would be held. _They're smarter than I thought._ Soon she was flying towards the location, and happy that Trunks couldn't sense her power level. Soon she arrived at a forested area, one far away from civilization that was the perfect spot for a picnic.

Eighteen descended into the trees and silently crept through the foliage until she saw the group in the clearing. They were laughing happily, and her eyebrow twitched as she watched the group. An alien emotion welled up inside her. The fact that Gohan would rather be among them instead of with her didn't sit well in her mind.

_I don't see why they're so special_, thought Eighteen bitterly. _Still…Gohan seems to see value in them._ She resisted the urge to sigh. _I'll never understand him. Well…there's Trunks, looks like he's growing up._ Eighteen slowly reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out something that she had commandeered from a store an hour ago.

* * *

Gohan was glad to finish his meal; food didn't taste as good as it usually did. With a sigh, he lay back down, and began to wonder why Eighteen had left as suddenly as she had. _She didn't like me being unhappy. Why did she say that? Doesn't she thrive on my unhappiness?_

The female cyborg was become more of an enigma every day. It reminded him of science. As he learned more, he realized just how little he really knew about her. Before his capture, he had a simple view of her as nothing more than a murderous machine. Now, it seemed like she was closing herself off to him. Was she afraid that he would change her? Gohan quickly dismissed this thought. Based on her latest behavior, he could tell that she was a control freak. When she came across something she didn't like, she relied on her power to coerce change. However, she was also well restrained, and apparently saw value in keeping him around, though he had no idea why.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard the cave door slam. _Look's like the 'queen' has returned, and she's not happy._ Gohan sat up in bed as she stormed into the room with an annoyed expression.

"Here!" She threw something onto the bed, and picking it up, he realized that it was a video camera. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow; he was perplexed. "Just watch the tape!" Eighteen felt annoyed with what she had done, but it was too late to take it back now.

Gohan obliged without further questioning, and his eyes widened when he saw a recording of all of his living friends and family having a picnic and laughing the day away. They all looked the same as when he had last seen them, except for Trunks. He stood out more than the others, due to having grown quite a bit. The boy he had trained was now a young man.

As a tear rolled down his cheek, he realized that he had almost forgotten about Eighteen standing in the room watching him. He looked up at her, and was about to ask her, but she already knew what his question would be.

Turning away from him, she glared at the far wall as a tint of red formed in her cheeks. "I don't like seeing you wallowing in self-pity. It doesn't suit you."

A smile formed on his face, and it wasn't forced. Then he said something he never thought he'd say to her of all people. "Thank you."

She turned to glare at him. Her face almost looked comical, the embarrassed blush on her cheeks counteracted the glare meant to intimidate him, and Gohan had to hold back his laughter. "Never bring this up again!"

Gohan shrugged before looking back at the camera. Eighteen had recorded a good portion of the picnic. He wondered what it must have felt for her to be doing it, and from his understanding of her, he couldn't blame her for finally deciding to leave the area hours before when the party would've ended.

He savored every moment of the tape, taking in any new events they were talking about. Once he was satisfied, he handed it back to her. She had cooled off now and was putting up that facial mask again. Gohan never thought he could ever feel such gratitude toward her, though it wasn't really that significant as compared to what he felt for his friends, it was far above anything he ever thought he'd feel for her.

Eighteen took the camera before turning around to leave. However as she reached the gate, Gohan called out to her. "Hey Eighteen, I really meant it when I said thank you."

She didn't bother looking at him, not wanting him to see the smile on her face. "You're really weird, you know that. I can't imagine why anyone would show courtesy t their enemy." With that, she walked out, leaving him to his thoughts.

* * *

I guess the story is approaching the part where Trunks recklessly fights the androids in 'The History of Trunks'. Chances are that there are large time gaps between Trunks' battles with the androids. Without any senzu beans, it would take time to recover and he'd probably spend more time training. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.


	9. Gardening

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen gave a bored sigh as he blasted away another group of fleeing humans. "This is getting boring Seventeen. Let's get out of here. I'll bet all the people here are dead or gone."

"You know, you've been getting harder to please," replied Seventeen nonchalantly. "Fine, we'll go look for something else to amuse us."

As they turned to leave, a sixteen-year-old Trunks landed behind them. He was powered up as a super saiyan and ready for combat. "How about picking on someone your own size? Will that amuse you?"

Eighteen rolled her eyes at his immaturely spiteful tone. _Well I'd better beat this nut job before Seventeen has a chance to kill him._ "I'll deal with him Seventeen." Then she phased in front of him and sent him into a crumbling building with a right hook to the jaw.

The battle didn't last long, in fact, it ceased being a battle after Trunks burnt off all of his energy and became a beat down. Trunks proved to be as reckless as ever, when compared to Gohan. In the end, Eighteen had to step in and deliver a blow that would leave him alive, before Seventeen could blast him to death.

When Eighteen was done, she and her brother decided to leave. Even if Trunks survived, he wouldn't be much of a threat to them. As they flew towards their home in the south, Seventeen spotted a city, ripe for depopulating.

The cyborg smiled cruelly as he stared down at the people wandering through the streets without a clue. "Hey Eighteen, look, I found another city." His sister simply stared down at the city with an indifferent face. "Those people look like ants from up here. Want to squash them?"

"No, I've had enough for today," replied with a shrug and a fake smile. However as she turned to leave Seventeen grabbed her arm, when she turned to glare at him she saw a concerned expression on his face. "What, Seventeen?"

He placed a hand on her forehead despite the annoyed glare he was receiving. "You don't seem to be sick. So what's up, why are you so…out of character all of a sudden?"

She freed herself from his grip before removing his other hand from her forehead. "Mind your own business, besides, I'm not out of character. I just feel like doing more with my life than just killing people."

He gave her a wide-eyed stare. "You've never said anything like that before. Where's all this coming from?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Has someone been filling your head with ideas?"

"Nobody's been filling my head with ideas," replied Eighteen harshly. "I just came up with this on my own, call it a revelation or something. If we keep killing people at our current pace, soon there won't be anybody left to kill."

Seventeen gave out a relieved sigh. "You had me worried for a minute there. I could've sworn that you'd changed, but I guess you're just thinking about our future. You're right; it does make sense not to kill the humans too quickly. We've got to give them time to reproduce and make more humans."

"Right," replied Eighteen, rolling her eyes. "Well I'm off."

"Where are you going?"

"Shopping. Why? Do you want to come with me and help me carry my bags?" She couldn't help smirking at his shocked and somewhat offended expression.

"Never! I'd never do such a boring thing with you. No way, count me out."

"Fine, suit yourself," replied Eighteen before taking off. _He's so easy to fool_, she thought as she changed direction mid-flight, heading towards Gohan. She was relieved that Trunks had managed to live through the battle, because otherwise, Gohan wouldn't have forgiven her, not that he forgave her for what she had done so far.

She still couldn't get over why she was so worried about displeasing him. It couldn't be out of fear. Eighteen couldn't wrap her head around why someone could desperately try to avoid displeasing someone out of anything but fear. Had Gohan gained some sort of power over her?

When Eighteen arrived at the cave, she found Gohan sound asleep. He seemed to be sleeping in more often than he used to. Had he grown complacent with his current situation?

Instead of waking him up immediately, Eighteen noted how different he looked from the time she had brought him here. His skin was now ghostly pale, and his scars stood out in stark contrast as permanently dark marks. His hair had also grown down to shoulder-length, and he had some facial hair developing.

Eighteen didn't like this change in him. Being confined for so long had definitely made him less concerned with himself. She decided to fix that today. Smiling mischievously, Eighteen reached out and shook him gently; Gohan stirred, but didn't get up, so she had to shake him a little harder the next time to get him to sit up.

Covering his mouth as he yawned, Gohan gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, I've just been feeling drained lately." Gohan's eyes widened as Eighteen grabbed him by the ki-inhibiting collar around his neck and dragged him into the bathroom to force him to look at his reflection in the vanity.

"What happened to you?" She sounded like she was worried, though there was also a hint of frustration in her tone. "You look so unkempt…and unhealthy. What happened, I thought that I was providing you with meals and the bathroom was there to help you get cleaned up."

Gohan wanted to laugh at how wound up she was getting over him, but instead decided to pout. "I take a bath everyday, but I don't have a razor or scissors to cut my hair. It's not my fault that my hair is getting out of control." He thoroughly enjoyed watching her get wound up over something so trivial, though he knew that his energy had gone down over his period of confinement. Still, though, he found her growing concern for him to be quite amusing, though he didn't think it would last too long. Eighteen would probably only go so far out of her way to keep him safe.

"And what about that pale skin of yours? It's lost the healthy glow it used to have." Crossing her arms she raised an eyebrow. "I've been letting you eat your meals in privacy, was that a mistake? Are you trying to starve yourself because you don't want to see me anymore?"

"No, I think it's because I'm not getting any direct sunlight. Humans need sunlight to get their daily dose of vitamin D. It's no wonder that I'm not at top shape, and on top of that, I've never really done anything besides lying around here waiting for you to come around."

Eighteen couldn't help smiling at that. _So he was waiting for me…how cute._ "So what do you expect me to do about it? Should I let you go outside while I'm here?"

"That would be nice," replied Gohan. "Though I'm not going to lie, I still wish I could leave here. I just don't feel as threatened by you anymore."

Her grin broadened as she leaned in to unbuckle the chain from the ki-inhibiting collar around his neck. _Better be cautious, even though he's only go one arm, he could still try to run away. Why is it that I don't want him to leave me_, thought Eighteen begrudgingly. "Follow me," said Eighteen as she stood up straight and turned to leave.

Gohan wasn't in the mood to complain, though he had begun to question his own obedience to her. He wasn't a muscle-head who would remain spiteful just for its own sake, but why wasn't he at least trying to make her life a living hell? He could easily be the worst houseguest and make her want to kill him, but it was against his character to be rude. Sometimes, Gohan thought he was too nice for his own good.

He let out a happy sigh as he felt the fresh outside air. The bright sunlight forced him to squint briefly, but when his eyes adjusted, the scenery around him was not very encouraging. Some of the alpine forest remained, but most of it was gone along with North City, whose ruins were like a scar on the land.

She quickly picked up on his dampened mood. "Well you got your fresh air," said Eighteen. "So why are you still sad?"

"This place is so barren," replied Gohan, his gaze fixed on the scar that used to be North City. "It would be nice if we could replant the area."

"Wouldn't you rather rebuild the city?"

Gohan shook his head and smiled. "Everyone's gone. It's not as if they'll just come back if I manage to rebuild the infrastructure, and with your brother roaming the Earth, I doubt they'd attempt something that big." He let out a sigh. "Plants would really spruce the place up. I can tell that it's happening slowly. The forest is coming back, but we can easily speed this along."

She raised an eyebrow and stared at his serene expression, which held an underlying sadness about it. "What makes you think I'll be helping you? I only let you out, on a leash I might add, so that you'd look nicer."

Gohan shook his head and chuckled. "Sorry about that. I forgot that you're still not entirely on my side." He was amused by her sour expression. "After those acts of kindness towards me, I suppose I'm getting carried away." His expression became serious. "You're still a destroyer, aren't you?"

She gave him a disgruntled close-eyed sigh. "I never said I wouldn't help you." She turned away from him as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. "Come on, let's go look for some seeds."

Gohan was briefly confused, but quickly shook it off with a shrug and followed her. _She always does this. First she acts tough to exercise her authority, but when I say something that implies that I don't like her, she responds by doing something nice, and then makes up an excuse to justify herself. I just can't figure her out._

"Hey Gohan, you'd better not try to run away," said Eighteen in order to break the silence and reassert her authority. "I'll catch you."

"Fine, I get it," replied Gohan before silence came over them again. They were walking slowly, and Gohan turned her head left and right, scanning the area for anything he recognized as the seed of a tree. Off course, he knew that Eighteen would probably find any seed before he would as she was leading the way, but she didn't recognize as many seed types as he did. It was one of the advantages of growing up in a rural home.

Eighteen spotted an acorn and bent down to pick it up before turning to Gohan. "I found one," she said blankly. There was an awkward silence, which annoyed her. "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

"Congratulations…" replied Gohan awkwardly. _It's just one acorn…what was I supposed to say? Oh well, I guess I should be grateful that she's even helping with this at all._

"You should know that I have no idea what to do with this," said Eighteen.

"Don't worry," replied Gohan. "I've planted many trees with my dad when I was a kid. I'll guide you through it. We shouldn't need to do any watering or maintenance though, the trees should be well adapted to growing here on their own."

"That's fine," replied Eighteen as she knelt to pick up a few more acorns. "So how many of these do you want to collect?"

Gohan chuckled nervously. "I actually didn't think this through." He noticed her stop to glare at him. _Strange, I don't find that nearly as menacing anymore. I guess I really am used to her._ "Sorry, but I didn't think you'd actually let me go through with this." He cupped his chin thoughtfully. "Let's see…our over all goal should be to help the forest fill in the space North City used to occupy. Instead of filling it up ourselves, we should established stands of trees space throughout the open space. They should naturally fill in the spaces between them."

"Numbers Gohan, I need numbers," replied Eighteen in an annoyed tone. "What's a ballpark estimate of how many…tree seeds we'll need?" She realized that she disliked being mal-informed on a relevant subject. Gardening was outside of her comfort zone. _Why couldn't Gohan have asked for new clothes…I know a lot about that? Wait! Would I actually take him out to get him some new clothes? It's not as if I'd do something solely because he wanted me to._

"Hey Eighteen," said Gohan, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Maybe we should just stop at around twenty. We can always gather more later on, and eventually, the forest should start recovering on its own."

Eighteen shrugged casually. "Fine, twenty it is." She then noticed clouds beginning to form on the horizon. "Looks like we won't have to worry about watering them, but I don't want to stay out here too long and get my clothes wet."

"You're call," replied Gohan as they continued searching. Eventually they were able to gather around thirteen acorns before Eighteen decided that it was best for them to plant them and go inside. Gohan had no qualms about getting wet while gardening, but he knew that Eighteen didn't share his opinion. In fact, she didn't seem to like this activity at all, which made Gohan wonder. _Is she really doing this for my sake? Has she actually started caring for someone other than her brother?_

Following Gohan's instructions, Eighteen began planting the acorns in pits she dug in the ground. Getting her hands dirty was annoying, but she endured it. However, she noticed that the acorns were being planted a great distance away from each other, which seemed to go against her instincts.

Eighteen turned to him with a questioning look, taking a brief moment to watch him work with his one arm. She had to admit that it was impressive to be able to work with only one arm, while she was relying on both of hers. "Why are we planting them so far away?"

"These trees can get pretty big," replied Gohan, directing her attention to some fully-grown trees several yards away. "We should take that into account, otherwise they'll be crowding each other out when they get bigger."

"Oh…that makes sense," replied Eighteen. She was somewhat embarrassed that she hadn't been able to figure that out by herself. Turning to look at Gohan again, she saw him performing the tasks with ease, despite his handicap. He'd definitely gotten used to having one arm, and now, Eighteen felt somewhat guilty at using both her arms so liberally.

When he looked over to check on her progress, Gohan was amused to see her working with only one of her arms, keep the other one folded behind her back. Eighteen was able to plant the acorns with only one arm, but she was quite a bit clumsier that he was. "What are you doing?"

Eighteen let out a sigh before turning to face him. "How are you able to work with one arm? It's so…inconvenient. I can't imagine life without both my arms."

Gohan chuckled darkly. "Yeah, I used to think that as well. However, while I do still wish I had my other arm, I'm used to it. When you think about it, there are a lot of things a person could get used to. I was clumsy with this for a while before I finally got the hang of it. It's still a bit of an inconvenience."

"If you can get used to it, then so can I," replied Eighteen before turning back to her task. However, she would never tell him that it didn't feel right for her to be using both her arms, while he could only use one. As long as he worked with arm, she would do so as well.

It took them a full hour before they were finished, and it left them around half an hour to get back to the cave before the rain started. Once inside, Eighteen proceeded to fix the chain back on Gohan's collar. With the rain pouring outside, she knew that she'd be staying the night. It didn't matter much though, she didn't need to sleep, and she actually enjoyed Gohan's company.

_Seventeen's going to have some questions tomorrow_, thought Eighteen with a smile. _Still, I can just make something up._ "How about dinner Gohan?"

"Sure," replied Gohan.

"Alright, it'll be ready soon." Eighteen turned to kitchen where she began preparing Gohan's meal. He wasn't trying to engage her in a conversation, which gave her time to collect her thoughts. She could tell that Gohan affected her and that she didn't want to displease him.

Not that she would always bend to his whims, but she did have this desire to make him like her, or at least see him happy. That's why she let him outside, video taped Trunks' birthday and helped him replant part of the forest. She had also taken pains to make sure Trunks survived for Gohan's sake, and though she hated to admit it, she felt a sense of guilt whenever she watched him performing daily routines with only one arm. There had to be a reason behind it. She would never go this far for anyone else, besides her brother.

_Could it be that I've fallen for him?_ To Eighteen, that would explain a lot, and the thought wasn't as detestable as she had previously assumed. A small smile graced her lips as she picked up his meal tray and carried it to him. _So this must be how it feels_, though Eighteen as she handed him the tray.

She didn't disturb him as he ate, being content to watch him eat. Gohan ate at a steady, yet rapid pace, a balance between his father and his more refined mother. It didn't take him long to finish and Eighteen quickly took his tray and came back moments later. When she came back there was a knife in her hands.

She pushed him into the bathroom and into a position where he was looking into the vanity with her standing behind him. "Hold still," said Eighteen and she infused the knife with ki. "I'm going to shave you."

Gohan complied, not wanting to get nicked. She was surprisingly skilled at this, in spite of the fact that she was relying on his reflection in the mirror to shave. The ki made sure that his skin wouldn't feel sore. It was a slow and tedious process, but thirty minutes later, she was satisfied with her work, and Gohan could breathe again.

"Wash your face," said Eighteen as she exited the bathroom. "I'll be staying over, because I don't want to get my clothes wet."

That last comment caused Gohan to sigh. _Guess I won't get any peace from her tonight._ A smile formed on his face. _Well maybe she isn't so bad after all…as far as her personality is concerned. I might even be able to convince her to stop killing humans; she's smart enough to understand my logic._

When he re-entered the cell, Eighteen was reclining on the bed, at the wall's side, leaving him the side closest to the gate. He felt uneasy, lying down next to her, but he had little choice, and he knew that neither one of them would try anything.

"Hey Gohan, tell me about love."

The request caught him off guard, but it didn't show. Gohan never had time for a love life because of the androids. The love for his family and friends was all he had to go on when answering her.

"I guess it's basically the feeling that someone else's life has value to you, regardless of what they can or cannot provide to you. I really don't have much experience here, but what really seemed to separate love from other emotions was that it meant a person cared deeply for someone else, in spite of any flaws the other person had, and would often take that person's feelings into consideration before doing anything."

"That's all I need to know," replied Eighteen. "I guess it must be what drove you to challenge me and Seventeen, even when you knew you didn't stand a chance." _Maybe I do feel it…_

"That's right," replied Gohan. "I knew that if there was ever the slightest chance I could free them and everyone else from this nightmare, that any amount of injury would be worth it."

His comment made Eighteen think about his missing arm. "Was your arm worth it?"

"Yes…it was." They fell into an awkward silence. He did miss his arm, and if given the choice, he would get it back, but Trunks' life was at stake. Saving that boy had been his top priority, and Trunks had been helping even more people over the years while he had been trapped in this cave.

Eighteen couldn't help pitying him as she stared at his silent form. _You've given so much, yet received so little. Is this what love, and honor are all about?_ Slowly, she began inching closer to him. He noticed her presence just as she cupped his chin and turned his head so he would look at her. _He's so young, yet so scarred._ She ran her hand over the large scar on his cheek, tracing its path up to his forehead.

He closed his eyes as her hand passed over his scar. When he opened them, she was staring down at him intensely. "Eighteen…what are you doing?" However, her only answer was to straddle him, causing him to stiffen up.

She smiled at his naïveté. _He's probably never had any experience like this._ Closing her eyes, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. Pulling away, she noted that he was nervous. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Please trust me." He didn't reply, but she knew he wouldn't interfere.

After receiving another kiss he worked up enough nerve to speak. "What am I supposed to think?"

Eighteen took a deep breathe before speaking into her ear. "I'm going to be clear about this. I still don't see why those humans are so important to you. But I do know that you are important to me. Now rest."

Gohan relaxed somewhat as she continued to kiss him, and eventually, she stopped and he drifted off into sleep.

* * *

That may or may not have been a pleasant surprise at the end. With exams over, I'll hopefully be able to start updating faster. Anyway, the battle at the beginning was the same as the one in 'The History of Trunks' but the Time Machine is still a way off from completion, and Trunks probably spent over a month recovering from that battle.


	10. A Change

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan felt well rested when his eyes opened in the morning. He immediately remembered the events that happened last night, though they were hazy, and felt somewhat like a vivid dream. The thought of it made him nervous, and confused.

If it had been real, then Eighteen would still be here, or there would at least be some sign of her having stayed here overnight. Gohan hoped it was all a dream as he turned to see if she was there. _Please let it be a dream…_ Unfortunately, when he turned to look, she was there sleeping on her side, her back to him. _Calm down Gohan. You'll be able to figure it out when she wakes up._

His heart was racing, and his lips tingling at the memory of last night. He had been too tired, and in too much shock to process what had been going, but now he was making up for it. It had caught him off guard, but the most surprising aspect had been something she said shortly before lulling him to sleep.

"_I still don't know why those humans are so important to you. But I do know that you are important to me."_

Gohan began to grapple with its implications. _Does she really care about me? Was she just trying to use me…I know I should believe that, but it doesn't seem right to me. I don't think she's the kind of person who'd purposely deceive me. If she wanted to use me, she would've been more direct about it._

Eighteen stirred next to him and rolled onto her back before looking over at Gohan. She smiled at the fact that he was in deep thought. _I'll bet that he's wrapping his brain around last night. He's cute when he's thinking that hard, and he doesn't even notice that I'm awake._ "Hey. Good morning Gohan."

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to face her with a curious expression. _She's got a mischievous smile. I'll bet she knows what I've been pondering._ "Good morning," he replied cautiously.

"I'll bet you're wondering about last night." She said it as if it wasn't the most obvious thing. She noted him frowning at her, compelling her to explain herself. "I really meant what I said. I do care about you. I couldn't put my finger on why I did all those things for you, but now I know, especially after you explained love to me."

"So you're saying that you actually care about me?" He had to remain skeptical, even if he believed that it could be true. "Does that mean you'll stop killing people, and help to rebuild and restore the planet?"

This caused her to snort with laughter. "I can see why you'd make that jump, but no. If you recall, I also said that I didn't understand why humans are so important to you." Her face became serious, but she didn't want to commit herself to anything. "Supposing I do decide to stop killing, it won't be because I've reformed. Right now, I would only stop killing because I care about your feelings."

"So does that mean you've decided to stop killing?" _I guess it's a start. Even if she's not going to do it for the ideal reason, having her stop killing is definitely a good thing._ As she thought about her answer he decided to help this along. "You know it would make me happy if you did."

"Don't try to manipulate me," replied Eighteen with a weak glare. "Just because I care about you doesn't mean you can use that to bend me to your will. I never said I'd stop killing, just that if I did, it would only be because of your feelings." Satisfied that she had gotten her message across, Eighteen's glare turned into a softer smile. "If you want me to stop killing, then you'll have to make it worth my while."

"I was afraid you'd say that," replied Gohan. He couldn't control the smile that spread across his face. "So am I going to have to call you master and all that again?" He shuddered inwardly at the thought of licking her foot again.

Eighteen couldn't help laughing at the memory of what she had put him through. She still had a somewhat sadistic sense of humor. "No. I have something else in mind, and I think you'd enjoy it a lot more."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I'll show you," replied Eighteen as she crawled towards him with a predatory gaze. Soon she was starting to straddle him, which caused him to stiffen up nervously. Taking note of his anxiety, Eighteen placed a hand on his tightly clenched fist, and began rubbing it soothingly, getting him to relax a bit. "Don't be alarmed. I won't go too far. If what I'm doing hurts you, then please tell me."

Gohan was now too dazed to respond properly, so he settled for a simple nod. _Man…I never expected anything like this to happen. For some reason, I'd feel more secure if she put me through hellish torture. This is completely new territory. Oh well, I guess putting up with this is my best option right now._ He closed his eyes as she locked lips with him, not daring to kiss back, yet unwilling to resist.

For Eighteen it felt somewhat relieving to be doing this. All her frustration with his effect on her seemed to make sense now. However, there was now another issue to deal with, he wasn't kissing back. It begged the question, could he share her feelings?

Gohan slowly opened his eyes as she pulled away and saw her staring down at him with a pensive look. He could tell that she was troubled by something. "What's wrong, I though this was what you wanted?"

"I did want this, but you weren't kissing back." He looked surprised, causing her to roll her eyes. "Gohan, I need to know, if this continues, could you ever care for me?"

Gohan felt cornered by the question. What was he supposed to say? He knew that the cyborg was truthful, and probably trustworthy for most aspects of her life. She always made it a point to do what she said she would, and even if that usually involved carrying out death threats, she clearly wasn't fond of deception. Chances are that she meant what she said, but his answer would come down to whether or not he could forgive her.

_She's taken so much away from me…yet she seems to care for me, but that can't cancel out what she's done to everyone else._ As he reviewed her track record, one particularly harsh memory resurfaced. It was when Eighteen and her brother had eliminated Earth's Special Force. Eighteen had made it a point to gloat over her victory over Piccolo, even if he wasn't a super saiyan, he was still the second strongest among them at the time.

Eighteen wasn't used to waiting for an answer, but she decided to make an exception. She knew that this would be a tough question for him, and was well aware of why. He would definitely need time to think on it, and she was ready and willing to give it to him, within reason of course. It was strange for her to have such a vested interest in his answer, but this change intrigued her, and she enjoyed what following it could lead to. So for now she would be patient.

She saw Gohan's face scrunch up, probably due to the memories that were resurfacing, of those wrongs she had committed against him. Eighteen felt an alien sensation in her chest, as if her heart was being churned, possibly a product for her newfound care for him. She wanted to reach out to him and comfort him, but knew that it was best to leave him be. He had to weigh in her past with her present to truly determine if this could go anywhere. In truth, Eighteen didn't feel any remorse for the pain she had inflicted on the humans. It was Gohan's own pain that triggered her guilt, yet she knew that his pain was tethered to their pain, it was an inescapable fact.

Eighteen was being patient, and from that, Gohan knew that she wouldn't attempt to force his opinion. She had shown several redeeming qualities in the time he had gotten to know her, honesty, care, and an eagerness to learn. Yet the past was always there and unchangeable. However, the memory of Piccolo's death brought him back to his time in the wilderness, when Piccolo was still his father's enemy.

At the time, Gohan had been well aware of Piccolo attempting to kill his father a few years back. He was a killer, and he still intended to rule the world. Gohan might have been naïve, but he wasn't foolish enough to think that Piccolo was training him out of a sense of duty, or because he cared. The saiyans were a big threat, and he had to cooperate if he wanted to ever stand a chance of ruling the world again.

Piccolo was cold, cruel, and ruthless, and yet Gohan had seen some good in him. Looking back rationally, Gohan concluded that his childish innocence coupled with the lack of personal hatred for the Namekian had allowed him to pick out Piccolo's good in spite of everything that was wrong with him.

He clearly would not have giving Piccolo the benefit of the doubt had his mind been in its current state. Eighteen, unlike Piccolo, was now openly showing that she cared for him, and he had little reason to suspect otherwise. Gohan wasn't ready to fully commit to her, but he knew that he couldn't deny giving her a fair chance. Turning to look back at her, he noted that she was patiently watching him.

"Before I commit to an answer," said Gohan. "I want to get some details straight."

"What are those details?"

"Well, for starters, I take it that you're not completely on my side as far as my opinion of humanity. You don't feel any remorse for the thousands of people you killed over the past ten plus years." She slowly nodded affirmatively. "Yet you now care about me, and are concerned about me, and feel sorry for me and what I've gone through."

"Yes I do. I've denied it for a while, but now I realize that you're important to me. I don't want to hurt you, and I'm sorry that I ever have." Her voice sounded sincere without coming off as her throwing herself at his feet.

"This is a very unusual situation," replied Gohan. Then he took a deep breath and sighed. "I can't feel the same way about you as you currently are, but I'm willing to give you a chance. After spending time with you and getting to know you, I know that you have the potential to be good. This is a start, and I'm willing to try and help you cope with these feelings you're having."

It sounded promising, but was too ambiguous for her. "Well…do you think that you'll be able to…love me? Maybe later?"

"Maybe," replied Gohan. "I definitely don't find you unpleasant anymore, and in a way, I do care what happens to you."

She knew that he wouldn't give her what she wanted right off the bat, but he wasn't so spiteful as to deny her outright. He was giving her a chance, something few had done to her during her human life. It brought a smile to her face. "Gohan…thank you."

He smiled back at her. "So I guess this makes us friends?"

"For now," replied Eighteen with a hint of disappointment in her. "We'll be friends…" _but I still wish there was something more._ "So where do we go from here? Can I still kiss you?"

Gohan's smile involuntarily broadened. "Technically you could force me, but I'd rather not do anything like that for now. Maybe some day. I still need time to work some things out."

"I can understand that," replied Eighteen, and with that the conversation ended. "So how about I get you a razor so you can shave on your own, and some scissors to cut your hair."

"You're not going to steal them, are you?" He knew that Eighteen couldn't buy anything due to lacking a job and money. However, he still didn't like the idea of her breaking into a store and stealing something.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Eighteen turned to leave. "I'll try not to do anything harmful." She then turned and left without waiting for a response.

Gohan shook his head as he heard the door close. _Well I doubt that she'd completely change overnight. Still, it's starting to happen. I just hope she doesn't kill people…there's also her brother. He might…well he definitely won't like Eighteen changing like this. On top of that, she could just lie because I'm just cooped up in here…but after going on about doing what she said she would do, I doubt she'd just turn around and deceive me.

* * *

_

Eighteen had been able to steal a pair of scissors and an electric razor. Fortunately for her, the man had long since abandoned the store when she had made her presence known in the town and she didn't need to fight or kill anyone. With the item secured in her jacket pockets, she decided to leave for the cave.

Unfortunately, Seventeen was in the area, and had seen the people fleeing the city, piquing his curiosity. As he got closer, he recognized Eighteen as she took to the air, and decided to ask her where she had been last night. "Hey Eighteen," he called as he flew up to her.

Eighteen bit her lip before turning around to face him. _I was hoping that I wouldn't run into Seventeen when I went out. I don't want him to see the things I got for Gohan. I'll just lie about where I was and say that I came here looking for more clothes._

Seventeen raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest before asking the obvious question. "Where you last night Eighteen. You didn't come home. I was mildly concerned."

She had an answer ready for him. First she chuckled at his statement, and then said, "I'm a big girl Seventeen, and nobody besides you is stronger than me. There was no reason to be concerned, and I can spend the night out if I want to. For your information, I was on the hunt for clothes, but decided to stay at a hotel for the night just to see how it felt. Have I answered your questions adequately?"

Seventeen shrugged. "Yeah. I guess it was silly of me to worry. Anyway, it looks like you didn't find anything that you liked."

"Yeah," replied Eighteen before looking at him with a sour expression. "You'd better not have done anything to my clothes back home."

"Relax," he replied casually. "I'd rather not incur your wrath, and I've got better things to do than touch your stuff."

She raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Besides killing humans what do you do to entertain yourself?"

"Card tricks," replied Seventeen. "Want to see some?"

"I'll pass," replied Eighteen indifferently.

"So, since you've scared everyone away from this town, do you want to go find another place to kill people?"

Eighteen yawned, it was an act, yet Seventeen wouldn't notice. "Nah, I don't really feel like it to day. Even though we never need to rest physically, my mind doesn't really feel up to it. I guess I'm in a bit of a slump."

He placed a hand on her forehead, and he had that annoyingly inquisitive look on his face. "Are you stick Eighteen. You've seriously been acting weird."

"I told you, I'm not sick," replied Eighteen in an annoyed tone, swatting his arm away. "People can go through cycles and phases. You and I aren't any different Seventeen. This is probably just a phase I'm going through and I'll probably get my drive back later. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to just fly around for a bit. I don't feel like doing much else."

With that, Seventeen shrugged and let her leave. However, as he watched her leave, his casual expression dissolved into a frown. _There's definitely something wrong here. We never go through "phases." We're always the same…we're always perfect, no matter what. I know something is wrong with her.

* * *

_

Trunks' eyes slowly opened. He felt drowsy and heavy, though the sedatives were keeping his pain at bay. As his eyes adjusted to the light, his mother's face came into view. "Mom?"

"Thank goodness you're all right Trunks," replied Bulma with a relieved smile. "I was worried that you might never wake up."

"I'm sorry mom," replied Trunks. "You were right, I wasn't ready to fight the androids."

"All I care about now is that you're alive," replied Bulma. "Just please don't go off like that again. I don't know what I'd do if you where to…" She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence.

"Mom…I think I'm ready to use the time machine."

"I'm glad Trunks," replied Bulma with a smile. "But you're in no condition to be thinking about that now. You're months off from being strong enough to make the journey."

"I know," replied Trunks. "But this is great. I'll be able to see Gohan again, and even my dad."

Bulma chuckled slightly. "I wouldn't expect too much out of your father though." She bent over and kissed his forehead. "Now rest. You won't be able to go to the past if you can't recover. Besides, the time machine isn't completely done yet."

Trunks sighed as his eyes closed. _Gohan…I hope you're proud of me. I'm going to put an end to this nightmare once and for all._ Soon he drifted off into sleep.

* * *

It's kind of ironic that Gohan pegged Eighteen as honest, and then she just lied to Seventeen. Anyway, I know it might be disappointing that they're not going to jump into a relationship, but that's what I would expect with Gohan. Just to be clear though, Eighteen still isn't technically a "good guy" but she's at a point where she has an allegiance to Gohan.


	11. Empathy

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen felt a strange sense of happiness when she came to visit Gohan. She had come to terms with the fact that she cared for him, but that they wouldn't be anything beyond friends, at least for the moment. Once inside the cave, she made her way to the kitchen and placed her groceries on the kitchen counter.

"Hey Eighteen," said Gohan in a friendly tone. "So how are you today?"

"I'm fine," replied Eighteen as she swiftly placed the food in the cupboards before disposing of the grocery bag. "My brother's been pestering me again. He wants to know why I'm not going with him to terrorize cities."

"Is it bothering you?" He sounded concerned, like always.

Eighteen shrugged casually. "Not really, though I don't want him to find out about you being alive. I'm actually cautious about him following me here. I don't really have a problem with not killing people though I'm not exactly a law-abiding citizen."

"Yeah, I'll bet you scared the grocery store owner into giving you free stuff," replied Gohan. "Though I guess it's a start. I don't think you'll be able to change too much with your brother around."

"You want him to die?" Eighteen walked into the cell with a concerned face. "I know Seventeen's annoying and he's not a moral person according to you, but I still don't want him to die. I still care about him."

"I don't want your brother to die," replied Gohan. "After seeing your kindness, I think he can be kind too, if he had the right motivation. However…he's the strongest warrior on the planet, and has no reason to change so far. If push comes to shove, and he still doesn't change, then he'll have to be stopped." Gohan didn't want to say killed, because the idea of her brother being killed could drive Eighteen away from him.

Gohan was impressed with the progress Eighteen had made, and her actions would have blown away any ideas he held about her before his captivity. She hadn't killed anyone since their friendship started, and he was growing fond of her. He rather not have a conflict with Seventeen over what was going on, but he wasn't going to let things slip back to the way they were over three years ago. Having one evil android was better than having two, and he did not consider Eighteen to be evil anymore. For him, she seemed more like a person in need of guidance.

Eighteen gave him a warm smile. She knew that he didn't want to upset her. "I understand that he's still technically your enemy, but I'm not sure if I can do anything to change him." _I don't want to have to choose between you two._

"That's fine," replied Gohan. "I guess you're in a tough spot right now." Then he cringed as pain shot through his non-existent left arm.

Eighteen became sympathetic and placed her hand on his, squeezing it comfortingly. "Phantom limb pain?" He nodded. "Does it hurt a lot?"

He shook his head. "No, It just came up suddenly. Now it's more like a headache. I'm fine now, I can deal with it." Looking her in the eye, he gave her a soft smile. _She's really nice to me…I guess she's not bad. I wish I could do more to help her with her situation._

Eighteen smiled back at him. She felt happy that they were now friends. Right now, He was arguably her best friend, assuming Seventeen didn't count. "So how about breakfast?"

Gohan shrugged. "Sure, and thank you." Eighteen got up from the bed and walked back into the kitchen area and began preparing his meal. "Hey, do you ever eat, I'd like it if you joined me."

"Actually, I don't need to eat," replied Eighteen. "But I can do so if I wanted to, so yes, I'll eat with you." He remained silent as she prepared their meals and came back into the cell. _It's strange…I feel like a housewife, preparing food for him. I thought routine would be boring, but I enjoy it now. It feels relaxing coming here to spend time with him._

Gohan didn't feel like breaking the silence as they ate together. He felt peaceful sitting and eating with her and didn't feel like digging anything up that could ruin it. He could only imagine the look on Trunks' face if the young saiyan was to stumble on them in this peaceful moment. Considering how far he had come with her, he wondered if Trunks would ever accept him again. Would his old family and friends ever be able to get past their hate and accept Eighteen's change, could the rest of humanity do so as well?

With their meals finished, Eighteen put their meal trays in the sink before coming back and unbuckling Gohan from the chain that bound him to the wall. "I guess it's time to check on the forest."

His face brightened up and he nodded. "Those trees were starting to sprout when we checked yesterday, who knows, we might find some more seeds to plant." He thoroughly enjoyed getting out of the cave. The fresh air and natural sunlight was a nice change of pace and he could better exercise outside with more open space to roam.

Unlike Gohan, Eighteen didn't need to squint when they stepped outside, as her eyes could instantly adapt to the change in light. They had a clear view of the forested area below and it was clear that the forest was slowly coming back. As the days went by, they had found and planted several more trees and within a few years, a canopy would reform. Eighteen had to agree that the forest was an improvement over a barren wasteland that used to be North City.

He felt her hand slip into his and grasped it before walking alongside her down the path towards the forest. At first he had been wary of it, but now he was used to walking with her, hand in hand. Perhaps they would be more than friends in the future, but for now, it was a chaste gesture, that affirmed the bond of friendship that was developing between them.

They walked in peaceful silence, surveying their surroundings to see how well the forest was doing. This lasted for around half an hour before Eighteen decided to start a conversation. "Does it still hurt?"

He knew that she was referring to his phantom limb. "No…the pain's gone."

"How often were you feeling it?" They stopped walking and she looked up at him. "Were you hiding it when I was around? Or did it only come when I wasn't there?" The thought of him gripping his shoulder in pain with nobody around to comfort him disturbed her greatly. She had suffered the same kinds of injuries he had, but her scars were gone, and might as well have never been there.

Gohan let out a sigh, recognizing the tone in her voice from the all the times Bulma and Trunks had used it in the days after loosing his arm. "Look…I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I don't need or want any pity from you. Yes, the pain has come, but it happens irregularly, and I've always gotten over it. It's easy to block out."

"Yeah…sorry about that," replied Eighteen in a soft tone. "I just…I didn't like the idea of you suffering alone." Taking a deep breath, she resumed a more serious tone, "You're a tough guy Gohan, and I know that you can take any kind of pain. Still, now that we're friends…I don't want you to suffer alone anymore."

Gohan felt touched by her comment. If it were Trunks, his desire to be there for Gohan would've been a given and they wouldn't need to discuss the subject any further, but Eighteen wasn't as socially advanced as Trunks, so for Gohan, this was a major improvement. Giving her a soft smile, he tightened his grip on her hand ever so slightly. "Thank you."

Eighteen blushed as she felt the tightening of his grip and responded in kind by tightening hers. "You're welcome." _I think we're getting somewhere…could he actually be falling for me? I hope so._

Looking down at her, Gohan noticed how different she looked to him. A few years back, he would've seen a killing machine, capable of tearing him limb from limb. However, now, while she was still just as strong, her face looked less menacing and more like that of a normal woman. _Now that I'm not intimidated by her she actually looks cute_, thought Gohan.

They stood facing each other for a few minutes before Eighteen decided it was time to continue walking. Breaking her gaze with Gohan, she said, "we should go. Let's check on the forest before it gets dark." Gohan nodded in agreement before letting her lead the way.

Moments later, they were crouching over the sprouting tress that they had planted just over a week ago. The small plants emerging from the soil hardly resembled the tall trees they would one day become. Looking over at Gohan, Eighteen couldn't help smiling at the look on his face. He looked like a child in a candy store.

Closing her eyes, Eighteen let out a soft sigh, before listening to the sounds of the forest. The peaceful silence, coupled with the occasional forest sounds were a far cry from the stress-inducing explosion that came from terrorizing a city. _You know…I don't think I want to go back to that life…I'd rather spend my time relaxing among the trees._ Opening her eyes, she looked over at Gohan again. _I hope I'll be able to spend more time with him here._

_

* * *

_

Seventeen let out an angry growl as he turned to look at the source of a nearby sound. In less than a second, he had blasted the poor human into oblivion. His sensitive ears then picked up the sound of movement in a nearby warehouse and he blasted the warehouse without a second thought. The cyborg was not in a good mood, in fact he was quite furious.

Eighteen seemed like a very different person to him. Her personality was similar, but her interests had turned away from his comfort zone. She no longer wanted to attack cities with him, and she barely ever went "shopping." On top of that, she had continued disappearing off somewhere, and that place was apparently the most interesting in the world for her.

"I just know that she has a boyfriend!" Seventeen crossed his arms and looked around with an agitated expression. _She's been working extra hard to keep him from me, but I won't let him come between us._ He gave a few more agitated glances around the desolate town before taking off. _Where's that purple-haired punching bag when you need him!_

He decided to return home for now, hoping that Eighteen would be there when he got back, and even more hopeful of running into Trunks so as to have someone he could truly take his anger out on. The cyborg move at a supersonic speed; the sonic booms disrupting the atmosphere around him represented his disrupted life. Eighteen's disappearances didn't sit well with him. The very thought of her being with another man caused his blood to boil. Eighteen was his and he wouldn't let anyone else take her away.

Eighteen had been in brief relationships before, but never cared much for the man she was with. She knew that her brother would kill him, and considered him to be just another disposable commodity to be thrown out once it had been used. However, if Eighteen ever decided to conceal a boyfriend from him, it meant that she cared for him a little bit more, and that could eventually turn into something greater if he didn't step in and nip the bud.

Off course, his mind naturally began contemplating the nightmare scenario of her actually having a boyfriend, and what life would be like if he was a part of it. If he approved of her being an android, and allowed them to continue killing others, it might be tolerable, but if not, and if he turned Eighteen against it, Seventeen would have a problem. The worst part was not the idea of his sister being against what he did, which she was a considerable amount of times, but the fact that he would no longer be number one to her. If she listened to that other man, he would no longer have much influence on her and could be faced with the choice of losing his sister, or loosing control of his life.

_Ever since I escaped Gero's lab, I've always been in control_, thought Seventeen. _I won't loose control again._ He briefly snapped out of his thoughts when he arrived home and landed in the front yard. A smile crossed his face as another thought came to mind. He considered it his greatest triumph. _If worst comes to worst, I'll at least know that Gohan's dead. He's been out of my hair, and I won't have to worry about him ever again._

He opened to door and saw her reclining on the couch, watching TV nonchalantly. She heard him come in and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're in a good mood."

"Just thinking, that's all," replied Seventeen. "I remembered the day I killed Gohan." For a second, he thought he saw her react to his statement. It was noteworthy, but he wouldn't mind it for now. "So what have you been up to? You've turned me down whenever I suggested we terrorize the humans."

"I've been doing my own thing," replied Eighteen vaguely, maintaining her cool and calm exterior. "Just hanging out, exploring new hobbies."

"New hobbies?" Seventeen raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What kind of new hobbies?"

"Gardening mostly. I've also been learning about philosophy and gaining knowledge." She sighed happily and stretched somewhat, maintaining a casual atmosphere. "I just feel like I should enjoy the world and branch out. If we're going to be here forever, we might as well explore and branch out."

Seventeen's eyes narrowed suspiciously. _I know you're hiding something Eighteen. I'm going to find out what it is. _ "So why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Because," replied Eighteen as she began twirling her hair casually. "You would've destroyed it. You always like blowing things up, even if it's against my wishes." She turned to give him a firm look, telling him that she meant business. "I'm not going to let you destroy anything until I'm done with it." _I hope Seventeen buys it. He's always so gullible. I can't imagine how angry he'd be if he found out Gohan was alive._

Seventeen smirked proudly at her admission of him as a destroyer. "Well that's fair enough." _Nice try Eighteen, but I know that you're not normally afraid of showing me something like that. This is different. You're afraid of how I'll react when I find out._ He turned to go up into his room. "I'll be upstairs playing with my cards." He left without waiting for a reply. Upon reaching the door, he turned slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eyes. _She seems normal on the outside, but I've got this gut feeling that something's changed._

_

* * *

_

This chapter seemed slower to me, but hopefully the next one will be more exciting. So far Eighteen has a crush on Gohan, but I'm still working on how Gohan's feelings for her will develop. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and any suggestions will be appreciated.


	12. Reciprocation

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan lay in his cell, alone at night, thinking about various recent developments. _She's starting to become more human_, he mused. _She really could become one of us…a protector of Earth as opposed to a destroyer. But her brother could be a problem. Will he be as open minded or rational as her if I ever get a chance for a non-violent talk with him?_

It was night and Eighteen was away, other than that one rainy night after they had started planting the trees, she made sure to return home to Seventeen so as to avoid too much paranoia on his part. At least Seventeen could be sure that his sister would return to him every night. Gohan could see where he was coming form though. While he had an entire network of friends to support him, Seventeen only had his sister, so if the one person he cared about was beginning to drift away, it was no wonder that he would get a little paranoid.

However, Gohan didn't fear for his own life. While he wanted to live, he had long since accepted the fact that he could die at any moment. He wasn't afraid of Seventeen, but he didn't want to lose Eighteen to evil after all the progress they had made. But it wasn't just about his selfless desire to end the planet's suffering anymore. The female cyborg had grown on him and he considered her to be a valuable friend.

Gohan was well aware that she held feelings for him, or at least thought she had feelings for him. Perhaps it was just because she was curious about him. While the hatred he bore for her had now eroded away, to be replaced by a sort of understanding, Gohan wasn't ready to accept her. It was for the simple fact that he didn't really have said feelings for her, he only considered her to be his friend at the moment, though it could easily change.

Gohan decide to leave the subject of Eighteen for now, and began thinking about his family and friends, who thought he had died. No doubt his father and Piccolo would already know he was still alive, and might even know what had happened to him. However, unless the dead had communicated with the living, his living friends would have written him off as dead a long time ago, and he couldn't blame them.

Recalling the video footage of Trunks' birthday, which Eighteen had graciously shot for him, Gohan realized that if Trunks didn't find out what was going on, he could end up gaining power in the past and come back and kill Eighteen. He remembered her earlier words, if she died then he would be trapped here and die of starvation, but he was also concerned for her safety. After coming as far as they had, he didn't want their friendship to end in such a way. Would Trunks understand if Gohan ever had the chance to explain what had happened, or would the boy think that he had been brainwashed.

In the end, it came down to one thing. He had to get in contact with his friends, and the only way that would happen was if Eighteen would let him go.

* * *

Trunks had recovered enough strength to get out of bed and start exercising again, although Bulma told him not to go super saiyan for at least a week to avoid overstressing himself. The time machine had been completed and all that was left to do was charge the battery with solar energy, and wait for Trunks to recover to Bulma's satisfaction.

Trunks knew that he would not be leaving any time soon. His birthday was coming up again, and Bulma wanted to wait and celebrate it one last time before he went back o the past. With nothing better to do, Trunks had resigned himself to light exercise to keep in shape.

Bulma walked into the room and raised an eyebrow at Trunks' intense expression. "Try not to stress yourself Trunks. You'll need to be at full strength when you go back in time. You might even have to fight against Freeza and his father."

"But you said that Goku would defeat them somehow. He arrived in time to defeat them. I could just stay back and wait until he's alone."

"Not necessarily," replied Bulma. "We'll be creating an alternate reality and according to science, when you observe something, you end up changing it somehow. It is impossible for you to be in the past and for events to play out exactly as they otherwise would've done. I'd rather you not fight Freeza, but if history changes and Goku can't get there in time, then you'll have to step in and stop Freeza yourself, and for that you'll need all the power you can get."

Trunks sighed and stopped his shadow punching. "I understand. I'll make sure I'm at top shape." He looked to her and saw her raising an eyebrow. "And I won't fight the androids either. I promise."

"You'd better not. I don't like you risking your life like that and if you get messed up after that battle, it'll set us back even further."

"Right, I get it," replied Trunks as he rolled his eyes. "No need to rub it in." _I swear Gohan…I won't let you down. I'll go back in time and find a weakness of the androids, and use it to destroy them here. I'll make sure both this reality and the new one will be peaceful and free of the androids._

"So how about lunch?" asked Bulma as she turned away from him to go into the kitchen. Trunks grunted, which she took to mean yes and walked out of the room without looking to see if he followed.

* * *

The next day, Eighteen walked out of the house she shared with her brother, looking forward to seeing Gohan again. She also wanted to check up on the forest that they had planted together, having built up her own personal interest in it. Unfortunately, her brother caught her on the way out, leaning against the front porch of their house with his arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"Sneaking off again Eighteen? I'm wondering what's so special about wherever you're going." He forced a smile and noted that she seemed impatient to leave. "So Eighteen, is it a boyfriend?"

"No," replied Eighteen. "I'm just-"

"You're just getting some space," Seventeen interjected, his expression turning fierce. "You're always saying that Eighteen. It's the same excuse over and over again. When are you going to kill with me?"

"So what if I keep using that same explanation! I'm just tired of killing people! Look around you Seventeen! The world is dying! There won't be anyone left to kill! Maybe this isn't the way…" She grew quiet when she saw the look on his face. It was as if he was a priest and she had committed blasphemy. Even though he was stronger than her. She never feared his power, but now, she felt nervous. He still had an emotional hold over him.

"Who are you?" Seventeen's voice held an underlying sense of betrayal. "The Eighteen I knew would never say such things. Has someone been polluting your mind?"

"I've just been using my brain, that's all," replied Eighteen, hoping to shake him off. "Come one Seventeen, it's simple logic. If we continue killing, they we'll run out eventually, and then it would be boring. Yet if we find something else to do for fun, then we can enjoy it continuously because it'll keep renewing itself. Besides, killing itself is just getting boring for me."

Seventeen shook his head, as if trying to shake off what she just said. "No! I'm not falling for that clever logic. I know that isn't something you'd say. Someone else must be influencing you." He calmed down and gave her an intense stare. "I'll get to the bottom of this Eighteen. I'll find out what you're up to and I'll stop whoever's been corrupting you with such ideas." After saying that he stormed inside the house, leaving Eighteen to digest his words.

After that display, Eighteen knew that Gohan would be in trouble if her brother found out he were alive. She was very concerned for him now that she had heard him express his knew resolve. _I have to make sure he doesn't follow me_, thought Eighteen. As she took off towards Gohan's cave, Eighteen took a more indirect route, hoping to confound a would-be follower and stopping regularly to see if anyone had followed her.

Upon entering the cave, she let out a sigh of relief. I can't let Seventeen get his hands on Gohan. That look in her brother's eyes before he stormed off sent chills down her spine, at thought of what he'd do to Gohan. She cared about the saiyan hybrid greatly, and hoped to be more than his friend. They had come too far together for Seventeen to mess it all up.

Hearing her come inside, Gohan stood up to greet her and smiled. She caught him off guard by rushing into his cell and enveloping him in a hug, but he quickly reciprocated by placing his arm around her waist. "I take it you missed me?"

"You have no idea," replied Eighteen in a somewhat mocking tone. Looking up at him, she made eye contact, showing that she was concerned about him. "Seventeen's starting to worry me."

Gohan's face became serious, though not harsh. "Did he hurt you or threaten you?" He suddenly felt protective of her.

Eighteen gave him a tender smile. I tell him about Seventeen and his first response is to be concerned about me. "No…he didn't really threaten me directly or hurt me at all. I just told him that I didn't want to kill anymore, and he suspected that someone was and I quote, "polluting me with ideas." He said that he would get to the bottom of it, and if he found out about you…I was worried about you."

She didn't feel comfortable pouring herself out like this. Exposing her weakness left her vulnerable to emotional ridicule. He could easily laugh at the fact that the mighty Eighteen was now in an emotional dilemma. Yet Gohan didn't exploit this situation at all.

Gohan wished he had both arms so he could envelope her in a proper hug, though he settled for rubbing her back to soothe her. "I'm touched by your concern for me Eighteen. Thank you." _You know…I really think I could love her._

She buried her face in his shirt, chuckled. "What are we going to do Gohan? When I came here I didn't want Seventeen to find you. I'm not sure if I can keep that up, and Seventeen was so proud of defeating you that if he found out you were alive, then…I can only imagine what he'd do to you."

Moving his hand to her shoulder, Gohan sat them both down and replaced a strand of hair that had fallen out of place from behind her ear. He spoke kindly, yet firmly. "I'm not afraid of him, and I'm not going to ask you to choose between us." He saw her blushing and felt a twinge in his chest. "You can try reasoning with him…that might help."

Eighteen shook her head with a sad face. "He's not much of a rational thinker. I mean it when I say he's immature, and decisions are often emotionally based, even when they shouldn't be." Letting out a frustrated sigh, she shook her head. "I can rely on the idea of him changing his ways, or at least not him doing so before he finds out about…us."

"Us?" Gohan raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat amused at the look on her face. _She looks as if she's said something taboo._ "Don't worry, that idea doesn't sound bad to me at all." He saw her face shift to a hopeful expression. "In fact…I think I might like that idea now."

"Really? You'd like that?" It seemed almost like a dream to her, but she was sober, and this was undeniably real. She blinked a few times and saw him smiling at her. It wasn't expectant or challenging, just passive and accepting. "So are we a couple?"

"It's your call," replied Gohan. "I can't say I've fallen in love with you, but I can say that I'm falling for you." She seemed dissatisfied with the answer; she wanted to hear more. "I think that you're a very nice person. You just needed someone to let you be that way without taking advantage of that. That's one thing I really like about you."

Eighteen knew that his feelings weren't as strong as hers, but that was understandable. Leaning towards him, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Gohan. I was hoping this would happen some time." She smiled at the blush on his face. "I guess you know what my answer is then."

"It couldn't be more obvious," replied Gohan, tucking back a strand that had fallen out of place behind her ear. "I was thinking…I don't want Trunks to destroy you. I know that you don't think he can do it, but even so, I don't want anything like that to happen."

Eighteen made eye contact. "You want to speak with Trunks?"

"I do…but for that I'd need to be free of this collar." He saw her expression falter. "Don't worry…I won't leave for good. I'll also avoid your brother. It's just that Trunks won't listen to you…he'll only trust me, and even then he might not completely trust me after my absence."

"I guess you're right," replied Eighteen as her hands began reaching for his collar. "Just please don't run away for good."

"I won't," replied Gohan reassuringly. "It would be cruel of me to lead you on, only to use you and escape. That's just wrong, and you're not the kind of person I'd do it to, even if I had the nerve."

"That means a lot," said Eighteen. There was a _click_ sound the collar came off. Just over a year ago, she would've expected such an action to be followed by him frantically trying to escape. Now, however, Gohan was content to rub the area where the collar had been.

"It feels good to be out of this," said Gohan. "But I don't feel my power back up yet. It'll probably take a while before it's safe for me to start flying again." He stood and began stretching.

"So how does breakfast sound? Maybe this time you can come and prepare it with me."

"I'd love that," replied Gohan before following her out of the cell.

* * *

So now they are a couple. If you think I jumped in too quickly then feel free to say so. Anyway, don;t expect any passionate kissing or anything of that sort yet because they're still just exploring.


	13. Playing House

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

"Good morning dear," said Eighteen playfully as she entered the cave. She said the word 'dear' as if they were role-playing. This off course elicited a chuckle from Gohan who was getting breakfast ready for them. "You're a really good cook," commented Eighteen as she strode into the kitchen. "I'm actually almost jealous."

"It's the least I could do after all the trouble you've gone through to support me," replied Gohan happily. It felt somewhat odd acting this way with her, but they were still in their first week together. Both were still trying to find a rhythm that would suit them.

"So how was your day?" Eighteen sounded as if she'd been the one staying at the cave all day, instead of flying around.

"I went outside to check on the forest. It's really growing nicely," said Gohan happily. "It feels good to be able to go for a walk in the morning now, and I'm glad that I get to practice cooking again." He had been making vegetable soup and only needed one arm to pour it into bowls for each of them. They then sat at the kitchen table, a place that had been mostly unused before Eighteen decided to set Gohan free. The saiyan-hybrid watched expectantly as Eighteen took a sip of the soup. "So how is it?"

"Not bad," replied Eighteen. "Though I don't really have anything to compare it to. I guess it's edible." Her eyes widened at the crestfallen look that crossed his face. _Did I upset him? Perhaps I was too rude._ "Gohan I'm sorry I-" Before she could finish Gohan began laughing, which proved contagious as she soon joined him. Moments later they both calmed down. "Okay…why were we laughing just then?"

"I was just messing with you," replied Gohan before chuckling at the mock glare she shot him. "It warms my heart to know how much you care," he said almost mockingly, causing Eighteen to playfully jab him in the shoulder. "So did your brother give you any trouble on your way here?"

"Oh, you have no idea," replied Eighteen in an annoyed, yet relaxed tone. "It's the same story I've been telling you. He keeps making these idle threats, about finding you…well he's doesn't know it's you, and their idle threats because he hasn't had the guts to try following me yet." Then she let out an exasperated sigh. "I swear, he's just like a child, always throwing a temper tantrum when he doesn't get his way. If you weren't here waiting for me, this situation might drive me up the wall."

"Well I'm here, and that's what's important." His grin broadened as she turned away from him, a blush forming on her cheeks. _She's still not used to blushing, I guess I can't expect her to completely get over her tough attitude yet._

"You know…us being like this…it's like we're married." She expected him to laugh, and was pleasantly surprised when he gave her a tender smile. Eighteen couldn't help smiling upon noticing the blush on his cheeks.

"That doesn't seem like such a farfetched idea anymore," said Gohan. "Maybe some day it will happen. For now I'm just glad we're together." The smile he received from her sent a nice warm feeling through him.

They didn't say anything after that; each was content to enjoy their meal in silence. It was not an awkward silence, but one that was peaceful as they were both happy to just bask in each other's presence. It didn't take long for them to finish their soup and Gohan poured then seconds. He had generally been taught to make smaller portions of food in such lean times and within an hour they were easily able to finish all of the soup, and neither felt full enough to burst.

"Hey Eighteen, do you want to see the forest?"

The female cyborg shrugged casually, a small smile on her face. _That forest is fast becoming his hobby._ "Sure, I wouldn't mind. It'll be fun going for a walk together." Clasping his hand in hers she led him outside, though not forcefully. As the fresh mountain air hit her face, she closed her eyes and sighed happily. "Are you feeling stronger yet?"

"Somewhat. I've got some super human strength back, though it's probably just around master Roshi's level. My powers are definitely coming back. And I've been doing some light training to help it along."

"Think you'll e flying anytime soon?"

Gohan shrugged "Perhaps I will…though it's hard to tell at this stage. I might even have a lower maximum power than before due to lack of training." He smile broadened as he felt her grip on his hand tighten minutely. "Hey…don't; worry about it. I promise, when I'm done talking to Bulma and Trunks I'll come back here. I won't leave you."

"You're sweet," replied Eighteen in a cool, yet happy tone. She stopped, and turned to face him, letting go of his hand in the process. "You really do care," and with that she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shirt. It felt comforting to have him hold her, even if he could only give a one-armed hug.

The cyborg's timing was unusual for Gohan, but he didn't speak from experience. He couldn't blame her due to her being new at true romance. Considering what she had been through, it was only natural that she would want to hug so often. He could tell that there was a comfort factor involved, even if she was currently much stronger than him.

"Where are you Eighteen?" Seventeen's frustrated cry gave Gohan and Eighteen enough warning to hide before the agitated cyborg landed in the clearing that North City once occupied.

"Darn it," said Eighteen softly as she and Gohan hid amongst the trees, remaining still. She knew that her brother was stronger than her, and that while he wasn't overwhelmingly stronger than her, he could easily push her out of the way and kill Gohan I front of her.

For Gohan, seeing Eighteen this distressed was something new, and he already didn't like it. Placing his hand on her shoulder, she squeezed comfortingly. Feeling her relax, he resisted the urge to sigh. They were less likely to reveal their presence if they were relaxed as opposed to uptight.

Scanning the area with his eyes, Seventeen gave a malicious grin. _This is pleasantly surprising; looks like someone demolished the city and started replanting the forest. I wonder…maybe this is what Eighteen's been doing. The question is why is she doing it?_

Seventeen took to the air again, though he didn't get far. His dark grin broadened as he came across the remains of Dr. Gero's lab. It brought back memories, and seeing it in ruins was a source of pride for both him and Eighteen. As he surveyed the area, an opening in the mountain, what looked like a cave, caught his attention.

"What do we have here?" Seventeen strolled somewhat cautiously into the cave. To his surprise, it wasn't dark; then again, even he didn't have much idea of what Dr. Gero had been up to. There was a green glow emanating from what looked like an upside down test tube that had its cork melted into the ground. In side the tube was a green grub-like creature.

He seemed repulsed by it as memories came back of the day they had killed Dr. Gero. This thing was supposed to absorb him and his sister, which was a fate he'd rather not have. Extending his hand, Seventeen fired a ki blast into the tube, causing its contents to spill out onto the floor in front of him. The grub wriggled around before Seventeen put it out of its misery with a smaller ki blast.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Seventeen turned to find his sister standing at the cave entrance. So she was coming here, there was no other explanation for her presence. "So Eighteen, this is where you've been coming?" With the tube destroyed there was no longer a source of artificial light for the cave, but he could still see her and that look of disgust as she eyed the larvae and the green liquid surrounding it.

"This place brings back bad memories," said Eighteen before turning to leave. Her brother followed her until they were outside. Gohan should be at the cave right now and Seventeen wouldn't know to go there. I'll stall him, and I hope he leaves soon. "So why did you come here?"

"I was searching all over the world for you." He gave her a mocking smirk. "You've been regrowing the forest, haven't you? That's why you've been coming here." He let out a light chuckle as she stared at him, somewhat perplexed. "The question is, why are you doing this INSTEAD of killing people with me."

"I…It's just that this project was so important to me. North city and the area around it is a scar on the earth for me. I just want the plants to come back and make it look like this never happened. They have a way of doing that."

"Really?" Seventeen was skeptical. "Why are you only starting this now? You ha fourteen years since we escaped to start this. Yet you only seemed to start after Gohan died." A deep silence fell over them as he eyed her suspiciously. "Did Gohan's death have something to do with this?"

"As a matter of fact, it did," replied Eighteen. "Once Gohan was dead, I had more time to focus on my other interests. _With Gohan around, I couldn't rest until he was dead." I hope he buy's it._

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What were you worried about? Did you think he could somehow get stronger than us?" His sister shrugged, causing him to laugh. "Unless you've forgotten, I've only ever used less than half my strength against him, and when I did use my full power, beating him was almost too easy."

"Well I suppose so, but don't forget, he was able to give us some headaches back when he was still alive. You HAD to use your full strength so you could kill him before he slipped through your fingers again." _It's working, now I just need to close the conversation and lead him away._ "Anyway, I've just found a new hobby to occupy myself with. Let's end it at that."

Seventeen nodded slowly. "Right…so what now? Are you going to keep gardening?"_ I'll bet she just wants me to leave. Her boyfriend's probably still hanging around here._

"Why don't you show me some of those card tricks you've been going on about? After hearing about them from you for so long, I've been getting mildly curious." She took to the air, and he followed. Soon they were both out of sight, heading towards their home.

* * *

A few hours later, Eighteen stormed into the cave with sure expression. Normally Gohan would've been mildly amused, but this time, she had saved his life for the second time so he showed her more respect by walking up to her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

Looking up at him, she gave him a smirk. "How do you think I'm feeling?"

"I'm grateful. You saved my life…again." He saw her pouting up at him. Apparently his response to her wasn't satisfying. "How badly did he annoy you?" He knew that a rant was coming up, and mentally braced himself for the verbal onslaught. _ She really is human_, thought Gohan as she began her rant against her brother.

During her rant, Gohan had been able to coax her into sitting down. He made sure to give her his full attention, knowing full well that it was what she wanted most out of this. She valued him because he was the first person to truly take an interest in her life, and Gohan wasn't about to let that fact change. As Eighteen began to cool off, Gohan walked over to the kitchen area and began making tea.

"You know, I was worried," said Eighteen off-handedly. "If Seventeen had found you, I wouldn't have been able to stop him from killing you. I had to do what I did to keep you safe." She looked up at him as he set her tea in front of her. "I promise that I won't let him get to you."

"That means a lot," replied Gohan, sitting in front of her before sipping his tea. "I care about you as well, and I wish I could help you with your brother." He reached out and she clasped his hand in hers'. "I…I'm starting to care more as the days go by and I cherish all these little interactions we have. I don't want you to have to choose between me and your brother."

"You're so sweet," replied Eighteen tenderly, though her tough side compelled her to avert her gaze as a blush crossed her face, earning a tender smile from him. "You know…I'm not nearly as embarrassed about admitting that as I used to be. I can really see what you mean. Eating together, and talking like normal people…those are the things that matter most to me now."

They stared into each other's eyes, smiling at each other before resuming drinking their tea. A comfortable silence settled between them again. Such silences were common between them as they didn't always have something to talk about, and they were content to enjoy each other's presence. Companionship was what they enjoyed most about each other.

Once the tea was finished and they had put the plates away, Eighteen wrapped her arms around Gohan's waist. He responded by rubbing her back with his one arm. She leaned up and he leaned down and their lips met. It was a brief and chaste kiss, but it served well to communicate their emotions.

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Eighteen with a smile on her face, though she knew she'd rather stay longer. _ I wish Seventeen wasn't so hung up on me. It's not as if I'd stop caring about him. He'll just be number two and he could always try to find his own love._

"Good night" said Gohan before kissing her again. Releasing her seemed harder as the days went by. "I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow." He escorted her to the cave door before opening it for her. Locking eyes with her briefly, he got his last good look at her for the day before she turned around and flew off.

* * *

This is chapter was mainly to show the nature of Gohan and Eighteen's relationship. It's still going to be around one month until Trunks leaves for the past, so I'll have some time skips between the chapters.


	14. I Can Fly

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

As he waited for Eighteen to come visit him in the morning, he sat in a meditative pose, his eyes shut and his mind still. A small smile appeared on his face as he felt the power steadily growing within him. When Eighteen had removed his collar, the state of his power had been comparable of a foot being asleep, and the feeling was steadily coming back.

Breathing steadily, he let his senses expand outward to see if he could hear her approaching, though that venture failed. As he began projecting his power outwards, a spoon on the counter began to trembling, bringing a broader smile to his face. _It's slowly coming back, and now I can affect the environment around me._ After sitting for a few more seconds he heard someone land outside the cave door.

Eighteen opened the cave door with a bag of groceries in hand. "Gohan, I'm here with groceries." Walking into the kitchen she set the bags on the counter before turning to give him a kiss. "Has your power risen again?"

He nodded affirmatively. "Yes, and I'm now able to affect things around him. Soon I might be able to fly, though I don't think I'll pose a serious threat to your brother. I don't want to try forming ki blasts since it might take away my power if you know what I mean."

"So how much weaker do you think you'll be when it finally levels off?"

Gohan shrugged in response. "I can't tell right now. In fact I'm not sure what effect not training would have on me because I've never gone so long without training before. However, my power should've gone up as well because I recovered from the beating your brother gave me. So I can't be sure how it'll all add up."

Eighteen nodded silently. "You'll be reunited with Trunks soon," she said in a reassuring tone, causing him to smile at her. "So how about we put these groceries away." She turned to face the counter and began removing the groceries, handing them to Gohan who put them away. Working together, they were able to put it all away within minutes.

Once everything was in its place they started making breakfast. Eighteen brought some bread out of the fridge and placed some slices in a toaster, while Gohan took out a jar of peanut butter. It was difficult, but after adapting to a one-armed lifestyle, Gohan had developed his own technique for opening jars, though it relied mainly on his above-average strength, which was lacking at the moment.

Eighteen raised an eyebrow as she watched him. "Impressive. I thought I'd have to help you get it open. You've really adapted to having one-arm." Giving him an approving nod, she turned to remove the slices of bread from the toaster before placing new slice and starting it again.

"It's not a perfect technique," replied Gohan. "There are some containers that I can't open. I accepted that fact a long time ago. With only one arm, there are certain things I won't be able to do, and I'd have to do most things differently."

"In that case, I'll be there to help you out when you need it," replied Eighteen. "I feel responsible for putting you in this situation, so I'll do everything I can to help you overcome your disadvantage."

"I feel really lucky to be with you," said Gohan, earning a small blush, though she didn't turn away in embarrassment. _Well I guess she's not as shy about compliments anymore. I'm starting to feel more natural around her as well._ Gohan took out a knife and began spreading peanut butter over the slice of toast.

"So what are you going to say to him…I mean if he hasn't seen you in around two years he'll want answers." She took out two plates for them as Gohan folded the slices of toast to make peanut butter sandwiches. "Do you think he'll feel betrayed or react with hostility? I mean if you tell him where you've been and that we're a couple, then he'll definitely take it hard."

"I can't say how he'll react," said Gohan. "But I know that he wouldn't blindly attack me. However, I agree that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him about us outright. Perhaps it would be better to break the news through Bulma."

"Should I come with you for support?"

"No…I don't think it would be a good idea until I tell them about you. People at West City know your face, so if anyone sees you, it'll start a panic, which would cause problems. Its completely likely that Trunks would attack you on impulse, even if I tell him not to."

"Yeah…I guess you're right. Just be careful and fly low. If Seventeen sees you, you'll be dead, even if I'm with you." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving her a sweet smile. "Hey, can I at least come with you part of the way to West City?"

"Sure," replied Gohan. "If it makes your feel better." There were ten sandwiches in total, and Eighteen took one, leaving the other nine for Gohan to consume. Even though he was used to lower portions of food, he still had a big appetite. Instead of wolfing the food down like his father would have, Gohan chose to eat like a normal person, albeit at an above-average pace. "This is good. Where'd you get the peanut butter from?"

"I actually found some money lying around an abandoned bank. Nobody was around to claim it, so I took some to buy the groceries in another town."

"So you looted a bank?" Gohan chuckled as she shot him a glare. "Just kidding. I can't blame you for doing that." Their conversation trailed off into the mundane.

As the days passed by, Gohan felt his power increasing in increments. On top of that, it was returning at an exponential rate with each increment yielding a greater amount than the last. Eighteen was a constant companion to him, and though they didn't always have something to talk about, both felt content to enjoy each other's company.

* * *

Seventeen punched the wall on his room angrily, careful not to completely knock it down. He was growing frustrated now. Eighteen refused to admit that she was seeing someone, and kept insisting that replanting the forest around North City was her new hobby. Off course he knew that it was absurd for her to change so much without some sort of intervention.

"Eighteen's never had a green thumb," mumbled Seventeen. "I was always the outdoorsman, while she was a city girl. What's happening to her?" He grabbed his hair in frustration. _There's no way she could've changed on her own._

The cyborg slumped on his bed, staring at the floor with a crestfallen expression. Everything his mind had been founded on was now under threat. Ever since the day they escaped Dr. Gero's lab Seventeen thought that they'd always be on the same side. Back then be couldn't read her mind, but he might as well have been able to as she agreed with almost everything he thought, and any disagreement was predictable. Now, her new ideas were completely out of the blue and far from Seventeen's comfort zone.

_What's come over her_, thought Seventeen in a worried tone. _Maybe it isn't someone…maybe she just saw a poster or something, but I know that there has to be an outside influence. There's no way Eighteen would suddenly change like this after remaining the same for over a decade. If I destroy the poison that's affecting her, then I might get the old Eighteen back._

Things had gotten boring for Seventeen. The main problem with this was the fact that he had nothing to divert his attention with, meaning that he was forced to think about his sister's 'troubling' behavior. Trunks never showed up when he tried to kill humans, thus drawing further attention to the fact that his sister never came with him anymore. The art of mass murder was never as distracting to him as pitched combat, even with one as comparatively weak as Trunks.

Eighteen and Trunks' absence made Seventeen feel like he was no longer interesting to be around. A rueful smile appeared on his face. _Since when did my human emotions start returning? Stuff like this is beneath me._ Though he hated to admit it, Trunks and Gohan as well had been important to him, though only as things to amuse himself with as opposed to Eighteen who was his companion. Nowadays, Seventeen began to feel how true loneliness could feel. There were no distractions to keep him company, just a bunch of face-less humans he couldn't care less about.

Getting up from his bed, he walked up to his desk and snatched the deck of cards on it. Card tricks were at least a more distracting than killing humans. They were the best he could come up with right now. After all, for him, killing was a waste if he couldn't enjoy it.

* * *

Gohan chuckled happily as his body began rising from the ground. "This is awesome! I can fly again." He began moving around in the air, gradually getting higher and faster. A child-like happiness came over him as he realized how much he had missed his ability to fly.

"Careful not to strain yourself," cautioned Eighteen. She hovered around him in case he suddenly lost power and fell. "Your power might not be as high as you think…maybe you should relax a little."

"Come on Eighteen…I've had less power and flown." He sounded almost like a whining child. "I'm sure I could at least make it to West City. Besides, I took Your advice and stayed here a week after I knew I could fly." A tender smile crossed his face. "I appreciate your concern, but I am a grown man, and I know what I'm doing. You don't need to be worried about me dropping out of the sky."

Returning his smile, she hovered closer to him and shared a brief kiss. "I understand what you mean, but that won't stop me from escorting you. I'm not about to take chances what someone as important as you." She chuckled as a deep red blush crossed his face.

"Right so I think we should go now. The sooner I talk to Trunks. The better. No doubt the time machine I told you about is almost complete." Seeing the skeptical look brought a broad grin to his face. "I thought it was ridiculous too, but if anyone could do it, then Bulma can, and she seemed like she was on to something the last time I spoke to her about it."

"I think they were talking about it when I videotaped Trunks' last birthday. It might be finished right now. We should go right now." Gohan nodded and then they both took off for West City. Eighteen was being especially vigilant to make sure her brother didn't happen upon them. For her, that was a nightmare scenario.

It would take them nearly an hour to reach West City as Gohan was moving at a very slow pace. Eighteen almost felt sorry for him. He was the man in their relationship, yet so far, she'd been playing the role as his protector and they both knew that she could easily carrying him and get them there in a fraction of what it would take at their current pace. She wondered if he felt emasculated in his current condition, though she doubted he was one to dwell on such thoughts.

When they arrived, West City was as barren as ever. The androids had stopped coming here a long time ago, though there was still a significant population living here, compared to the rest of the world. All activity was conducted in secret and nobody moved outside if it was unnecessary, thus, maintaining the guise of a long abandoned city.

Fortunately, Capsule Corp. stood out like a beacon for him. The ruined structure didn't look as if it had anyone in it, but Gohan knew that Bulma would be inside unless she was getting groceries. The crack in the roof wasn't fixed yet, but it served to maintain the image of a run down structure that no normal person would live in.

They landed on the outskirts of the city where nobody could see them. "You should go now," said Gohan. "The people here know your face. We wouldn't want to start a panic. I'll go back to the cave when I've finished talking with them." Eighteen nodded and flew away from the city.

Now effectively alone, Gohan ran through the streets towards the large dome of the Capsule Corp. mansion. Memories flooded back to him as he stood facing the structure. He remembered how it felt to come here and receive a greeting from his surrogate little brother. Now, however, Trunks was a young man and things would be different. He felt somewhat nervous about the encounter to come, but quickly overcame it.

He opened the door and heard someone in the kitchen. "Hello," came Bulma's voice. "Trunks…are you back already?" Now Gohan knew that Trunks wasn't here, but had he gone to the past already. He heard Bulma coming to see whom it was, and decided to stay put until she saw him.

Bulma walked towards the doorway of her home with anticipation. The person at the door hadn't answered her, which made her somewhat anxious. However when she arrived at the doorway and saw Gohan standing there, it was as if she were in a dream. Gohan was supposed to be dead…he couldn't be standing right there.

Gohan chuckled nervously as he saw Bulma staring at him. "Hi Bulma…I suppose you'd like an explanation of why I'm standing here when I was supposedly killed." He was caught momentarily off guard when she ran to him and enveloped him in a hug, but promptly returned it.

"You've got so much explaining to do," said Bulma as she sobbed. She let go and stepped back to get a good look at him. "Chichi…and Trunks, and everyone…they were all so upset! Where have you been…what have you been doing, and why didn't you contact us?"

"I'll answer all of that," replied Gohan as he attempted to remain calm. He hadn't truly realized how much he really missed everyone until this moment. "Could you call my mom after I tell you everything though…there are some things she might not…like to hear."

Sensing his unease, Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Alright…now I'm more interested than ever to know what's been going on. Don't worry, I won't tell Chichi…at least not until I've gotten a full handle on what you're about to tell me."

"Thanks," replied Gohan with a smile. _I can always count on Bulma to have a level head…mostly._ "Alright...by the way, is Trunks here?"

"No," replied Bulma, shaking her head. "He just left a few hours ago in the time machine. He should be back soon though, since he could just set the coordinates to whatever time he wants." She gave him a proud smile. "He's become a super saiyan."

"I know," replied Gohan with equal pride, earning a surprised glance from Bulma. "I'll explain why I know that." They walked over to the kitchen and sat at the table. "I'll start from when I almost died at the hands of Android Seventeen…"

* * *

For those who didn't notice, there was a time skip at the end of the first scene also I don't really feel like describing Gohans explanation in great detail. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.


	15. Explain

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Bulma listened patiently as Gohan explained his story, keeping her surprise to herself. She had been utterly shocked when he told her that Android 18 was the one who saved him and disgusted after hearing about what she put him through initially. Though, her behavior seemed odd, Bulma wouldn't claim to know everything about Eighteen, though she found it strange that Eighteen was so curious about Gohan's selflessness. By the time Gohan explained the friendship that had arisen between them, Bulma wasn't as surprised as she thought she should be. Then Gohan told her about him returning her feelings, and Bulma's mind quickly thought of Vegeta.

When he concluded his story Gohan saw that Bulma had a calm, yet pensive expression. While he was glad that she hadn't yelled at him or acted the way his mom would've acted, her lack of response was somewhat unnerving. Was she shunning him, or was she articulating a proper response to what he had told her.

He didn't like the sudden silence and decided to provoke a response. "So…Bulma…" _How do I phrase this?_

"If you wan to know what I think then I can only tell you that I'm still processing this," said Bulma seriously. "I can see why you didn't want your mother to know yet, and I don't think Trunks should know either." Taking a deep breath, she quickly organized her thoughts before continuing. "I can't trust the android yet, and you don't know what she does when she's not around you. I trust you, and I trust what you said she's like when around you, but frankly I have no idea what her true motives are."

Giving her a sad smile, Gohan said "I guess asking you to trust her right off the bat would be far too much to ask, but I'm glad you're taking the news with a level head." Staring down at the table, he smiled happily. "If I told this to myself from a few years ago, he'd be just as surprised, maybe even angry with me, but right now, nothing seems off about Eighteen at all, and I know I can trust her."

"I'm not skeptical about your feelings for her," replied Bulma. "I just need some solid evidence that I can trust her. I suppose a face-to-face encounter would do it. And until I've confirmed for myself that she can be trusted, I don't think Trunks or Chichi should know about his, or they might think you've been brainwashed."

"How come you don't think I've been brainwashed?"

"Experience," replied Bulma with a shrug. "When I was in love with Vegeta nobody thought that it could work out for obvious reasons. I was the first person, except maybe Goku, who saw more in him than just a ruthless killer. I felt, no I knew that he could be a good person." With a sad sigh, she stared down at the table with a longing expression. "And it turned out that I was right."

"Thank you," replied Gohan with a solemn nod. "I guess that's a great analogy for my situation. The only reason I never trusted Eighteen before was because I never had time to get to know her since we were always fighting. But when I was trapped in that cell, I began talking to her, and overtime, I came to understand the kind of person she was and eventually, I convinced her to stop killing people."

"I want to believe you Gohan," replied Bulma with an understanding nod. "However, as I said before, I can't throw caution to the wind. I guess you could say that the android is on probation. She'll have to earn my trust before I can accept her, and I don't think Trunks or Chichi would even give her that opportunity."

He gave her an agreeing nod. "Alright…I guess that about sums it up. Now there's also the matter of Seventeen, her brother. He's just as evil as before, and now he's getting ticked off at his sister's changing behavior. He apparently has a grudge against me for ruining his favorite shirt so he'll be even angrier if he finds out that his sister saved me. To top it off, he's the strongest being on this planet unless Trunks comes back with a major power boost."

"I doubt he will," replied Bulma. "His only mission is to give Goku the medicine and get back here." Running a hand through her hair, she turned to look at the window nervously. "Maybe if all three of you were to team up, you could contain him…or if you put that ki inhibitor Eighteen had you wear on him, he might loose all his power. Though I doubt Eighteen would go along with this."

Getting up from his chair, Gohan began stretching. "I think I should get going now. The sun's starting to go down, and Eighteen will be worried about me. I'm not at full strength yet, I'll be vulnerable if her brother catches me."

"Alright," replied Bulma reluctantly. "Should I tell Trunks you were here when he comes back?"

"No I don't think that would be a good idea. It'll lead to too many questions, which would be impossible to honestly answer unless he knew the full truth. I think it's best to wait until you have a face-to-face meeting with Eighteen and decide for yourself."

She nodded in agreement. "I'm going to trust you on this one Gohan, even though my mind is telling me that it's a long shot, I'm going to trust you. Just promise that you'll be safe and discuss everything we talked about with her. That way, things will go more smoothly."

Giving her a thumbs up, he said goodbye before leaving the building and heading back towards the cave where Eighteen was waiting for him.

Once he was gone, Bulma walked over to her bedroom and pulled a photo out of a drawer. It had been taken shortly after Trunks was born. In it, she was smiling with the baby in her arms. Vegeta stood next to her with his usual grumpy expression, though she knew he was happy.

"I guess they didn't trust you at first either, did they Vegeta," said Bulma to herself with a sad smile. _I guess history can repeat itself._

_

* * *

_

When Eighteen heard the door open, a sense of relief washed over her and when she turned the corner to see Gohan standing there, she ran to him on impulse. Wrapping him up in a tight hug, she took a deep breath, and buried her face in his chest.

"Looks like someone missed me," said Gohan with a raise eyebrow. "Maybe I should go out more often."

"Don't push it," replied Eighteen in an agitated tone while keeping her face buried in his shirt. With a sigh, she pulled back and looked up at him with a smile. "So how'd it go?"

"Bulma listened to me with a level head. Unfortunately, Trunks has already gone to the past, but he'll be back soon. Anyway, Bulma said she can't trust you just yet, but she's willing to give you a chance. She said that a face to face meeting is the best way for her to make up her mind, and we both agreed that nobody else should know until then."

"That sounds reasonable," replied Eighteen. "I suppose Trunks and your mother won't be able to take the news with a level head, considering its me." She turned and led him further into the cave. "So when will this face to face meeting occur?"

"I was hoping it would be as soon as possible," replied Gohan. "I also think we should bring the video you shot of Trunks' sixteenth birthday to help your case. Trunks will be back around tomorrow according to Bulma, so it's better if we come before he gets back."

"Then let's go now," replied Eighteen. "Or at least after I find that camera." It didn't take them long to locate it, considering how few personal items were kept in the cave. There wasn't enough stuff to make a clutter. "Alright, now that we've got it, let's get going. I think the longer we wait, the more likely we are to run into my brother."

"I agree," replied Gohan. "I don't think Bulma will mind if we return right away, and night time is better since the people of West City are less likely to see you." When they got outside, Gohan felt Eighteen wrap her arms around his waist. "Eighteen…what are you?"

"This time, it'll be faster if I carry you." Before he could respond, she took off towards West City at a considerable speed. It would only take them ten minutes to reach it at her current pace, and no normal being could move so fast for so long without tiring. _Being a cyborg comes in handy_, thought Eighteen.

It turned out that West City wasn't as dark as North City due to the time difference, but it was still past dusk. Thankfully, nobody was out on the street to start a panic when Eighteen landed in front of Capsule Corp. Once she had let go, Gohan walked up to the door and knocked.

When Bulma opened the door, she thought she was faint. It was one thing to hear about it from Gohan and another to see Eighteen standing next to him with her own two eyes. "H-Hi. I guess Gohan told you what happened then." Bulma definitely felt nervous around the cyborg, though her trust in Gohan prevented her from panicking. "Please come in," said Bulma politely as she stepped aside to let them in.

"Thank you," replied Eighteen curtly as she walked past her, followed by Gohan. Once they were all inside, they went to the kitchen and sat at the table. Not one to waste time, Eighteen got down to business. "Gohan told me that you needed to speak to me before you could accept the fact that I've changed."

"That's correct," replied Bulma, "and I guess I trust you more already for going through with this. Its not like there was any reason for this to be a setup." Taking a deep breath, Bulma gave Gohan a nervous glance before turning back to Eighteen. "To be honest, I never really thought about what I'd ask you when we met."

"I understand," replied Eighteen before placing the video camera on the table. "Here. I used it to videotape your son's sixteenth birthday." Bulma's shocked look demanded an explanation. "Gohan was upset about not being there to see Trunks on his birthday so I decided to videotape it. It took me a while to find you, but I was able to watch you and videotape you all secretly."

Bulma turned the camera on and her eyes widened when she saw the image of them sitting together and enjoying the occasion. _If Eighteen was in the bushes, she could've easily killed us or gone away to do something more interesting. I guess she has changed. Even if she's not entirely on our side, she has to have some sort of commitment to Gohan to do something like this. Would I even be willing to do this for Vegeta? I guess repairing that gravity room is a reasonable analogy._

As she handed the camera back to Eighteen Bulma felt a newfound respect for the cyborg. "I think that I might be convinced," she said. "I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt considering what videotaping this must have taken. You're definitely committed to Gohan and I can respect that." Everyone knew there was a catch to this. "Still…I won't be telling you any of our secrets or letting you in too much any time soon. You're still on probation like Vegeta was when he first came to live at Capsule Corp. and that will only go away with time. Even if I've acknowledged your change intellectually, I still won't be comfortable around you for a while."

"I can understand that," replied Eighteen with a smile. "Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself. I won't let you down and I am committed to Gohan." Then her expression darkened. "Still…my brother will definitely pose a problem to this."

Gohan nodded in agreement. "Like I told you earlier, he has a personal hatred of me, and he's the strongest being on the planet. We might be able to stop him if Trunks teams up-" Eighteen shook her head indicating her doubts about that. "Um…well when my strength comes back, I could help Eighteen defeat him. Maybe then he'll be more subdued and we can talk him down."

"In the meantime, where will you two be staying?" Bulma raised an amused eyebrow. "I'm assuming that you'll both be staying together." They nodded. "Well you might be able to stay here and when Trunks comes back we can explain things to him. However, it'll probably be a very nasty surprise for him to just happen upon you, so it might be best to just break the news to him by telling him before showing him."

"I agree," replied Gohan. "I supposed we'll be staying at the cave then?" He turned to Eighteen for confirmation and she responded with an affirmative nod. "Alright, then I guess we'll get going, unless you'd rather have us over a little longer."

"Actually, I was going to start making dinner, I'd like to have someone to eat with and I want to learn more about Eighteen." Bulma noted the happy smile on the cyborg's face. _She's really happy that someone else is taking an interest in her. I guess that's why she changed. All she needed was for someone to show genuine interest in who she was and how she felt._

_

* * *

_

Trunks smiled and let out a relieved sigh when he saw that his time machine was hovering over the run-down Capsule Corp. building. _Home sweet home_, thought Trunks as the machine silently landed and the hatch opened. The excited saiyan-hybrid ran to the door, anxious to see his mother and tell her the good news.

However, when he opened it, he heard the sound of people talking. _Huh? Mom doesn't usually have guests over. I wonder who those people are._ He was in for a nasty surprise when he walked in and saw his mother conversing with the female android. He could barely contain himself upon seeing the bane of his childhood sitting comfortably in the kitchen.

Not bothering to listen to what they were talking about or the fact that his mother didn't seem worried, Trunks rushed into the room. "Mom!" They turned to look at him with surprise; they hadn't expected him to arrive so soon. "Mom what's going on? Why is that thing here?"

"Is Trunks back already," said Gohan as he walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen with wide eyes. Oh...this is going to be a tough situation. Attempting to diffuse the tension, Gohan approached Trunks with a smile. "Hello Trunks…sorry about this…surprise, but we'll be happy to explain everything."

Trunks stared wide-eyed at his mentor, whom he had thought was dead. "G-Gohan?" However, he quickly regained his serious demeanor. "Alright, then explain."

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Gohan decided to start with the obvious. "Well as you now know, I wasn't killed by Seventeen, so that's why I am here." He noticed Trunks eyeing Eighteen anxiously, as if she would suddenly jump out of her chair and startle him. "So now on to why she's here. It turns out that she saved my life after Seventeen beat me up."

Trunks gave Gohan a wide-eyed and incredulous look. "But…why? Why would she save you?" He turned to look at Eighteen, who rolled her eyes in response. "Explain!"

Letting out a disgruntled sigh, Eighteen reigned in her growing temper. She had to bear with Trunks and couldn't blame him for how he was acting. "I was just curious about why he was so selfless. Even when he was struggling and barely alive, all he could think about was that he was letting everyone down, so I took pity on him and decided that I wanted to learn more about human emotions."

Trunks narrowed his eyes at her, but the explanation sufficed and he turned back to Gohan to hear more. "So what happened during those two years for you to think to bring her here?" He knew that it wasn't right for him to speak to his mentor in such a tone, but the fact that he'd brought a killer android to his home seemed to warrant it to some extent.

"Well I got to know her better. She really was curious about what I had to say, and I explained why society has rules and human emotions and stuff like that. Then what I said eventually began affecting her, and she spent less time killing people, and now she's decided to stop it forever." _I'm not going to tell him about our relationship yet. It might send him over the edge. He needs to hear this in bite-sized chunks._

"I guess that explains everything," replied Trunks seriously. He then turned to Eighteen and pointed an accusing finger at her. "I'll be keeping my eye on you. If you've really changed, then you'll have to prove it." With that he turned to go upstairs, moments later they heard the door to his room slam shut.

"Well that went well," commented Eighteen sarcastically.

"He probably just needs time to adjust," replied Bulma in a sympathetic tone. "I wasn't expecting him to get back this early, but it's better that he found out sooner instead of later. I just hope he's not too upset."

"We should let him cool down for a while," said Gohan. He looked at Eighteen who nodded in response. "I guess we'll be leaving now. Its probably best if we don't stay here. Do you want us to help you with the dishes?"

"That's okay, I'll handle it," replied Bulma. "Besides, he might come down and let me talk to him if you're both gone. He probably wants to ask me what possessed me to let you both inside or something like that."

"Thanks for having us Bulma," said Eighteen as she and Gohan walked to the door. They turned and waved goodbye to her before flying away.

After closing the door, Bulma turned and saw her son coming down the stairs. He looked torn and agitated. "Mom, I'm going out to get some fresh air," said the super saiyan as he walked past her." As he strolled outside, he heard his mother warn him to be careful in an uneasy tone before he closed the door. With a deep breath, he powered up into a super saiyan and flew off into the distance.

* * *

I hope I handled the scene with Trunks well, also, I'm not going to be updating for a while since I'll be going on vacation and won't be able to use the computer.


	16. A Big Mess

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. She could tell that he was upset about how their encounter with Trunks had felt. The hardest part was that nobody could be blamed for what had occurred. You couldn't blame Bulma for thinking rationally, or Trunks for reacting with outrage at seeing her. Off course, she couldn't even blame herself because it would be pointless to blame her for changing into a better person.

"I'm sure it'll all work itself out," said Eighteen in the best reassuring tone she could muster. "Once Trunks gets over the initial shock, he'll probably start seeing things differently. He is his mother's son, so being rational should come naturally to him."

"Yeah," replied Gohan sadly. "Still…I taught him that it was okay to feel rage towards you and your brother, and that such rage should be channeled to make your stronger…that kind of conditioning will be hard to overcome. Besides…seeing that look of betrayal in his eye just…it just broke my heart."

Eighteen felt her eyes begin to moisten at his words, though she wasn't on the verge of tears yet. As he sat on the bed, she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. "I'm here for you if you need me."

"Thank you," replied Gohan in a solemn yet greatful tone. _It's funny…I never thought that she'd ever be the one to comfort me. I guess we really have come a long way. Eighteen's probably right…Trunks is still used to Eighteen being his enemy, and the same is true with Bulma. It'll take time for them to catch up._

"Good," replied Eighteen. "Now get some rest. You'll probably need it for tomorrow." She gently directed him to lie and rubbed his forehead as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry Gohan…we'll work through this together. Just rest now." A tender smile crossed her face as she soon felt his chest slowly rise and fall.

* * *

Trunks sped on through the darkness, his mind still processing the situation. His entire world had been changed completely. Gohan was alive, which contradicted what he had believed for the past three years. On top of that, he had somehow formed a friendship with that female demon of his childhood. Trunks couldn't bring himself to believe that she would change after all that she had done.

Landing on a cliff, he sighed, sitting down and reverting to base form. "I…I can't believe she would save Gohan." _This whole situation is foreign to me…even my father was something I expected, but this…_

"Who saved Gohan?" He smirked proudly as the surprised saiyan hybrid turned to face him and powered up. "It's been a while since I've seen you, and it looks like you've seen something that's messed you up, although I hope you haven't forgotten that Gohan's been dead for a while."

Off course, Trunks had no idea how proud Seventeen was for his supposed triumph over Gohan, but the Vegeta in him wanted to tear it to pieces. For once, he new more than his opponent, and he would milk it. A mischievous smirk appeared on his face. "I guess you haven't heard the news."

"What news?" The cyborg raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms casually, though that look Trunks was giving made him think that there was something he needed to know. "Surely you're not suggesting that after all this time you have reason to believe that Gohan had been alive this whole time."

Instead of outright telling him that his mentor was alive, the young super saiyan decided to toy with him a little longer. "That's too bad…I guess you've been completely clueless as to what your sister has been doing behind your back."

Seventeen's eyes widened and within a second, he had punch Trunks in the gut. Then he grabbed the hair of the double over super saiyan, forcing him to look him in the eye. "What do you know of that?" When his only response was a chuckle, he became even angrier. "Don't screw with me!"

"Maybe she wants to replace you…with him. That might be why she saved him. You two didn't seem to be the best of friends all the time so I guess it's understandable." Trunks felt another hard jab in his gut as the cyborg glared daggers at him. _Guess this is a really personal topic for him. Maybe Eighteen has changed, or maybe she's really just looking to replace him._

"Tell me! What do you know? Eighteen and I have had a bond you humans could never understand! She would never think to replace me with anyone. So tell me…whom are you talking about? It can't be Gohan because I killed him! Eighteen must have someone else brainwashing her, that's why she hasn't been interested in killing humans lately!" Harshly grabbing Trunks' chin, he forced the young half-saiyan to look closely at him. "Now, you are going to tell me what you know about this, or this'll get very ugly."

"Like I said," Trunks knew that he was in for a world of hurt, but it would be worth it to see his hated enemy squirm under his words. "Gohan's alive. You failed to kill him, and now it looks like your sister's got a new man. It's a definite upgrade." Moments later, Trunks felt his body sailing through the air, only to be abruptly slammed into the ground as Seventeen phased above him and brought his foot down hard.

The angry cyborg proceeded to kick Trunks' side, as the hybrid lay there, unable to get up for the time being. "I can't accept that! I refuse to believe that Eighteen would replace me with anyone, much less that pathetic failure you call a master!"

Had it not been for his super strength, Seventeen would've sounded pathetic to Trunks, however the last comment about Gohan made him very angry, and he mustered up enough strength to stand up. "No one talks about Gohan like that!" He took a fighting stance, staring angrily at the cyborg. "I may not understand him entirely now, but Gohan is still the best man I know, and he's a much better man than you'll ever be!"

Seeing Trunks get fired up seemed to calm him down. For Seventeen, things finally seemed to be as they should, or as he wanted them to be. _Well, I guess I'm not the only one who is easily angered by words._ "So what are you going to do about it?"

Even though he knew that he was no match for Seventeen, Trunks' pride prevented him from backing down. He charged towards Seventeen and tried to land a punch, though it was easily dodge. However, he heard Seventeen coming up behind him and spun around to block a kick by crossing his arms.

"Not bad," said Seventeen with a confident grin. "You've improved somewhat, however," then he phased behind Trunks at an even greater speed before jabbing him in the lower back. As Trunks staggered forward, Seventeen tripped him, and the young hybrid fell face first in the dirt. "I've still got you eating dirt," said Seventeen arrogantly.

_No! This isn't good_, thought Trunks as he stood back up. _Unlike Freeza I can't tell how strong he really is. For all I know he could be ten times stronger than I am and there's no real way for me to prepare for him._ Taking a defensive stance, he waited for the cyborg to make the next move.

Laughing loudly, Seventeen crossed his arms, showing that he'd already won. "There's no point in continuing this battle anymore. You've already given up, and I've no interest in killing you right now. However, what you said got me thinking. I'll be sure to bring it up with my sister later on." After a brief wave goodbye, the cyborg flew away, and Trunks was in no mood to give chase.

As he watched Seventeen fly away Trunks had a foreboding feeling that something much worse was about to follow. _Gohan's not a full strength yet_, thought Trunks. _If that android finds him, then it'll be over fast. I doubt Eighteen would fight her brother to protect him. I really hope Seventeen doesn't know where to look.

* * *

_

Eighteen wasn't able to sleep that night, so she decided to go out for a walk. The forest was starting fill in, and though the young trees were not the giant woody towers that characterized the forest, they had developed strong woody stems and the ground around them was now carpeted in smaller vegetation.

However, as she was admiring the wildflowers that had only recently sprouted up, another figure landed in the clearing. She could immediately tell who it was. "Seventeen? What do you want?"

"I ran into a certain purple haired saiyan, and he told me a very interesting story." Seventeen noticed her poker face, though he had an idea of what could trigger an emotional response. "So how's Gohan, I hear he's been…alive lately."

Eighteen raised an eyebrow, triggering her brother's curiosity. "What are you getting at Seventeen? You know Gohan was killed around two to three years ago. You did it yourself." _Damn it Trunks! Did you let it slip that I saved Gohan's life?_

"That's funny, because I heard that you were keeping him alive, and that he made you lose interest in killing people." His eyes narrowed at her and his tone became more overtly serious. "You know while I'd normally consider that story to be absurd, in light of recent events its makes an unusual amount of sense."

Eighteen's gaze began to falter ever so slightly, and she could tell that her brother was beginning to worry. "Seventeen…I-"

"Eighteen please tell me it's not true! He's not alive is he? Please, tell me none of the things he said were true." His face began to show just how insecure he was. _Damn it! I will not loose her to anything!_ "Tell me! Why are you suddenly acting this way? We never change! We were never supposed to change!"

Eighteen was now quite fearful, though it was more out of concern for Gohan than her own safety. _Please don't check in the cave._ "Um…I guess that theory of yours was wrong. I did change. Think about it Seventeen, we were once humans. All that's changed is out strength and our aging. With everything else, we're basically humans for all practical intents and purposes."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" If there was one thing Seventeen didn't want to be called it was human. He loathed humans and the fact that they could be happy while he had suffered. It was one thing he and his sister had in common which bound them together when nobody else was on their side. "Don't ever call us human Eighteen," said Seventeen in an almost panicky voice.

"But I'm just stating the facts," said Eighteen taking a step back. Her eyes darted to the cave where Gohan slept vulnerably. _I have to get Seventeen away from here. He knew to come to this area to look for me, so I'll have to move Gohan back._

"You're hiding something," said Seventeen in a dark and frank tone. He crossed his arms, scanning her for any clues to what she would do next. Seeing her eyes briefly go to the nearby cave, he gave her a wicked grin. "Is that where you're keeping him?"

"No," replied Eighteen. "I'm not keeping anyone anywhere. Now please leave me alone, you're making me uncomfortable." She decided against positioning herself between her brother and the cave because it would tip him off to its importance to her.

Seventeen maintained his grin as he began walking in the direction of the cave. "Well if that's the case, then you don't have anything to hide. So I'll just take a little peek and it'll all be over." Seventeen's grin broadened when Eighteen dashed passed him at full speed. I think I'll follow her. _She'll probably lead me right to him._

Gohan was surprised when Eighteen rudely awoke him from his peaceful rest, though that turned into alarm when she told him that her brother was on the way. "Hurry, hide in this closet," said Eighteen as she led him into the kitchen and dining area and stuffed him into a closet. "Please stay here and be quiet while I stall him."

Gohan nodded as she closed the door. He could tell that she was panicking and that Seventeen probably suspected something was going on here. _I just hope that he won't harm Eighteen over this_, thought Gohan as he heard the came door slam open, signaling the male cyborg's entrance.

"Nice place you've got here," commented Seventeen as he casually strolled around the place. He gave his sister a sneaky grin as he saw that she was clearly in fidgety. "What's wrong Eighteen I thought you had nothing to hide. Oh well, I'll just quickly look around and then you can have this place to yourself."

Eighteen did her best to keep her cool, but she could tell that her brother knew she wasn't calm. One thing she didn't want to do was to him off in the direction of Gohan's closet. It was tough to avoid looking at it when she was so concerned.

"Ah, let's see the bedroom," said Seventeen slyly as he finished his search of the kitchen and stepped into the cell. Looking at the bed he could tell that the sheets were messed up, meaning that someone had gotten out in a hurry. When he placed his hand on the bed, he felt warmth. _Someone's been here recently…it couldn't have been Eighteen._ Then he went into the bathroom and saw a toothbrush, a shaving razor. _Eighteen doesn't shave! That clinches it, there's a man in here!_

Eighteen was staring at the ground, but look up when she heard her brother walk out of the cell. He was looking directly at her with knowing and sadistic smile. "I know he's here Eighteen," said Seventeen coolly. "Don't worry Eighteen, I'll dispose of him. It'll be for your own good."

Her eyes widened in horror and her body tensed up, ready to stop her brother as he stepped further out of the cell. Seventeen noticed the closet and it brought a smile to his face. "He must be in there," said Seventeen. Eighteen got ready to put himself between her brother and Gohan.

However when Seventeen opened the door he was met with a bright light. "SOLAR FLARE!" The shocked Seventeen was hit with a bright light, but Eighteen was far enough to shut her eyes before it was too late. Gohan ran past Seventeen and grabbed Eighteen's hand. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

When they were outside Eighteen took over and grabbing Gohan by the waist, she took off at full speed in a random direction, hoping that her brother wasn't following.

Back inside the cave Seventeen recovered his sight. However, even though it had all been over in a second, he could still recognize the voice of the man that blinded him. "That was Gohan," said Seventeen angrily. "So it's true! Gohan's taken her from me! I'll kill him! He'll pay for getting between me and Eighteen."

* * *

I've finally updated after being away for a while. For those who thought Eighteen was portrayed too weakly against her brother, I am going to address why she didn't just punch him in the next chapter.


	17. Seventeen's Despair

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan sighed as he sat down on the bed in the abandoned East City. They were in a rush, and didn't want to risk leading Seventeen to an area with people. The abandoned hotel room wasn't in perfect condition, but it would do as a temporary hide away.

"Where do we go now?" asked Eighteen as she sat down next to him. "I wouldn't dare go back to the house I share with Seventeen. I'm not sure if he'd want to see me, and I'm sure he'll ask me about you. Should we head over to Bulma or to your mom's house?"

"No…we should at least wait until morning to decide. We'll have to stay here for now. Then we'll cautiously head over to Capsule Corp. and tell Bulma and Trunks what happened." _Flexing his right arm, he began to feel out his strength. It's definitely coming back. Using that solar flare gave me quite a boost. I'll probably be at full power by tomorrow. _

Eighteen smiled at him before lying down on her side of the bed. "Let's get some sleep Gohan. We'll have a big day tomorrow. I take it your power's starting to come back?" She received an affirmative nod. "That's good. You think you'll be able to turn super saiyan any time soon?"

"I can transform now, though I'll probably only be at full power by morning." Lying down next to her, he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. "Goodnight Eighteen."

"Goodnight, " she replied before closing her eyes as well. They soon fell asleep, side-by side. Both knew that they were vulnerable in sleep, but it was unlikely that Seventeen would find them.

* * *

Bulma heard the door open, and knew that Trunks had returned. However upon seeing the state he was in, she gasped in horror and ran to his side. "Trunks what happened? Let me guess, you fought android Seventeen?"

"That's right," replied Trunks as he sat on the couch. His body was covered in scrapes ad bruises, though he had used his ki to seal off any open wounds. "He knows…he knows that Gohan's alive…I told him that as a taunt…I guess it backfired. Sorry."

"I don't think anyone blames you," replied Bulma. "Well maybe Eighteen would blame you if it leads to trouble, but this whole problem will probably be resolved soon anyway. He had to find out, and I'm sure that between you three, Seventeen doesn't stand a chance."

"Yeah…I guess we can beat him…though I'm not sure if she'll be willing to fight with her own brother. I know she has to have some sense of loyalty to him left. She'd probably have figured out what you said a long time ago, but was reluctant to make an enemy out of him even if she could win."

"That's obviously," replied Bulma. "You can't expect someone to just throw out the one person she used to care about for the sake of her knew ideals. Eighteen's no idiot…I could tell that from talking to her, and I also think she's in the same position your father was in before you were born, minus Seventeen off course. Off course, there's something else to consider. We still have to let everyone else know what's been going on…especially Chichi."

Trunks mentally cringed at how Chichi might react to this new development. He remembered her yelling and screaming when she heard about Gohan's death. It's as if she were looking for someone to blame. Trunks knew that Chichi for the most part hadn't gotten the happy marriage she wanted with Goku, or at least that was how Gohan explained it to him. It was nice until Raditz showed up, then the wonderful future she had envisioned began to crumble.

"Shouldn't we let Gohan tell her himself, or at least have him there? She might accuse us of lying to her otherwise," suggested Trunks.

"We can gather everyone and tell them all together, and Gohan will be there with Eighteen as well," replied Bulma. "That would save us a lot of trouble, and he can answer everyone's questions in one go. But on the other hand, he might end up swamped with questions, or rejected outright by everyone, and I'm sure that would hurt him more."

Trunks yawned and was about to stretch out, but winced as pain shot through him. "I'll be going to bed mom. My injuries will heal faster that way."

"Be sure to wash up before you get in bed," said Bulma as he walked up the stairs. She took a deep breathe before sighing. _This whole situation has become more complicated. I'm glad that it at least looks like we can stop the destruction…but before, at least we were all on the same page, now we've got to spend time figuring things out. I wish Goku were here…he'd know what to do._

_

* * *

_

Seventeen screamed angrily as he grabbed the kitchen's island and threw it against the cave wall, causing it to break into many pieces and crack the wall. "Why Eighteen! Why'd you have to leave me?" Rushing outside, he looked around, hoping in vain that she might still be around. _No! Where is she?_

After looking around for several minutes, he realized that she wasn't in the area. The shock quickly wore off and Seventeen landed on the ground before falling to his knees. _N-No! She can't be gone! Where is she?_ The panic began to set in as he became aware of the fact that he was now alone. Nobody was on his side; it was just himself against the world.

Ever since he was a child, or at least as long as he remembered, he and Eighteen had been there to support each other. The entire world could be against them, but their mutual company kept them strong. Even after Dr. Gero captured them and turned them into cyborgs, they were able to team up and escape that dreadful place. They then used their newfound powers to assert their dominance over humanity, which they had come to loathe.

Seventeen's eyes widened as he felt a liquid slide down his cheek. When it reached his mouth, he realized it was salty water. He was crying, and the thought of it sickened him. _No…crying is a human thing. I can't be crying!_ Unfortunately, he was unable to will the tears to stop and the continued to slide down his cheeks. _Why! Why am I crying?_

Seventeen clutched at his temples before grabbing his hair. His body was trembling and his thoughts quickly wandered from his sister to Gohan. "This is his fault! Gohan! I will make you pay! I'll kill you the next time I see you, and the Eighteen will be mine again!"

Taking off, he flew off looking for someone to take his anger out of. He found the ruins of a city, but decided against going to check if there were survivors living there. Instead, he chose to keep looking until he found a smaller town. _The people here probably don't even know who I am_, thought Seventeen as he wandered through the streets. He looked over at a couple sitting on a bench. _This town was sheltered in the mountains…they only have a vague idea of what's been going on in the world._ Extending his hand, he got ready to fire a ki blast at the couple. _ I could just kill them with no effort at all._

However his hand was shaking and he was unable to muster up a ki blast. _What's wrong with me? I can't shoot…I want to…but I…I don't have any drive!_ Turning around, he walked off into the streets with a sour expression on his face. _I guess I don't have it in me to kill random people. I'm upset over loosing Eighteen._ Then a malicious grin appeared in his face. _Killing Gohan will make everything better. Then Eighteen will come back to me and we can kill people together again._

_

* * *

_

In the morning, Gohan and Eighteen flew to Capsule Corp. They were cautious so as not to attract any unwanted attention from Seventeen. It only took them around two hours to reach West City undetected, and they were lucky to not get spotted by its inhabitants and start a panic. When they landed in front of Capsule Corp. Gohan knocked the door and stepped back as Trunks opened it.

"Oh…hello Gohan, good morning," said Trunks awkwardly. "Did Android Seventeen find you last night? I'm sorry for telling him that you were still alive."

"Don't worry," replied Gohan. "I'm fine now, and we're all here. That's what matters right now. I was actually more worried about what he might have done to you when you broke the news to him. Anyway, I should be at full strength now so we can definitely subdue him if he becomes too much of a problem." Gohan then turned to Eighteen who was smiling uneasily. "Are you okay with that?" he asked tenderly, which caused Trunks' eyebrow to twitch slightly.

"Yeah…I just don't want to do anything too drastic like killing him. But if he does become a problem, I'll definitely help you contain him, though it'll take all three of us to do so safely."

Gohan nodded in agreement before turning back to Trunks. "Have you and Bulma told the others yet?" Trunks shook his head, and then stepped aside to let them in. They walked into the kitchen where Bulma was making breakfast. "Hey Bulma," said Gohan. "Do you have enough for two more?"

"Oh hi Gohan, Eighteen," replied Bulma. "I guess it'll be simple enough to make some more. So did Android Seventeen pay you a visit last night? Trunks told me what happened."

Gohan and Eighteen both nodded. "We were able to escape thought," said Eighteen. "I'm worried about his mental state though. He was really happy when he thought Gohan was dead, and then he became upset when I started changing. So now that he knows the truth, I'm not sure what he'll do next."

"We'll have to confront him sooner or later," said Trunks. "I think it's better if we do it sooner. As time passes he's bound to get worse instead of better." Trunks began cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "The problem is what to do with him. We have to be able to contain him so he can't hurt anyone."

"I've got t," said Gohan because pulling something out of his pocket. It was the old collar that Eighteen had used to suppress his power. "Eighteen used this collar to prevent me from escaping before she became good. It might work on Seventeen." Gohan turned to Eighteen for confirmation, and she nodded in agreement. "But anyway, let's not think about that now. I think Eighteen is feeling troubled by last night's events, let's talk about something else." Turning to look at Eighteen, he saw her giving him a grateful smile.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you how my trip to the past went," said Trunks. Gohan, Eighteen and Trunks all sat at the table, while Bulma continued to make breakfast. "I was able to get to where Goku would land, but he was late, and Freeza needed to be stopped so I had to step in."

"But dad could've come to Earth using instant transmission," said Gohan. "It's a technique that allows him to teleport. He used it to get to Freeza and stop him in our timeline. Didn't you tell him Bulma?" Bulma gave a nervous chuckle.

"It's fine," replied Trunks. "I didn't give Freeza the chance to power up to his maximum anyway, and his father was a complete pushover once I turned super saiyan. When Goku arrived I gave him the medicine and warned him about the Androids."

"Did you get to see your father?" asked Bulma.

"Yeah, and he seemed pretty cranky, though I don't think he was really evil at that time. He didn't believe I had saiyan blood, even when I turned into a super saiyan in front of him. He sure was stubborn." They all chuckled at that.

"So I suppose you'll both need to stay here for the time being," said Bulma as she set food on the table before sitting down. Gohan and Eighteen both nodded. "Your old room here should be in good condition. I guess you could both stay there for now."

"Both in one room?" Everyone turned to Trunks who had a shocked look on his face.

Gohan shrugged. "Don't worry Trunks, it's fine with us. Besides, it's just a temporary arrangement." Trunks seemed satisfied by that answer.

After breakfast, Bulma showed Gohan and Eighteen to their new room. "It has a nice view," said Eighteen as she stared out the window. You can see a large part of the city and we could view the sunrise in the morning."

"That would be nice," replied Gohan as he finished laying the sheets. Then he walked over to Eighteen and put his arms around her waist. "Thanks for being there for me."

Eighteen smiled up at him. "What would you expect? I care about you now." Wrapping her around him, she leaned up as he brought his face down and kissed her. _It feels good…we haven't really had any proper time to make out._

They heard a thud, and broke their kiss to see Trunks on his back in the doorway to their room. Gohan chuckled. "What's wrong Trunks? Did you need anything?"

"I just came to ask you guys something but…I didn't know you two were 'together'!" Getting over his initial shock, Trunks stood up and said, "you never said that you and her were…you know."

Gohan could help snickering. "Didn't we imply it?" _I guess he's not that good at picking up implicit clues._

"No…maybe, but how was I to know?"

"Never mind," said Eighteen as she grinned broadly at him. "So what did you want to ask us?"

"Oh right…well I was wondering, I noticed I only had battles with you, and no battles with Seventeen lately. So I was wondering, did Gohan ask you to go easy on me so I would live?"

"He did," replied Eighteen. "However, it was initially part of a deal. He would be my slave, and I would make sure you lived. It was his unwavering selflessness that really drew me to him." A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she leaned towards Gohan and kissed him on the lips.

Trunks reacted just as she'd hoped, by cringing. "Ew!"

"What's wrong Trunks," asked Gohan with a broad grin on his face. "I thought you accepted Eighteen…or at least accepted that she could've changed."

"That doesn't mean I don't find that image disturbing," said Trunks as he pointed an accusing finger at them. "I've spend all of my life looking up to you and hating her, so I'm still disturbed by the thought of you two…you know."

"Oh really?" Eighteen raised an eyebrow. "Does this disturb you?" With a primal growl she leapt onto Gohan and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Gross!" Trunks didn't want to see more and ran out of the room with an embarrassed blush.

"Do you think you might've taken it a little too far," asked Gohan as he stared at the empty doorway with a raised eyebrow. "I think you scared him off. He'll never look at us the same way again." Eighteen got off him and responded with a shrug.

Bulma raised an eyebrow when Trunks came downstairs silently. He looked like he's seen a ghost. "What happened Trunks? Is something wrong?"

"I'm going out for a walk."

"Why?"

"I need to clear a disturbing image out of my head…" Trunks silently walked past his mother and out the door.

Bulma stared off into space for a few moments before shrugging. _I wonder what that was about._

_

* * *

_

I was trying to portray Seventeen as somewhat sympathetic in this chapter, so if you feel somewhat sorry for him, then I've done what I set out to do. I also hoped that last scene made you laugh.


	18. The Game is Over

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan sucked in a lungful of air before raising his power level as high as he could. It required more effort than he remembered, though that was because he hadn't done it in a while. However, it only took about a minute for the golden flame to appear around him. Slowing his breathing, he felt out where his power had peaked.

"I think I'm stronger than I was when Seventeen killed me," said Gohan. "But you're still the strongest one here," he said to Eighteen. "Yeah…my power should be around Freeza's when he came to Earth, well possibly a little stronger though."

"But I was easily able to defeat Freeza," said Trunks. "You're definitely stronger than me, so you can't be at Freeza's level."

"You never gave him a chance to power up," said Gohan. "I this timeline, my father gave him that chance, but he'd gotten so much stronger that Freeza's comparatively smaller power increase didn't make much difference." He then turned to Trunks with a smile. "So how about you transform as well. I want to see how strong you've become."

"Alright," replied Trunks as he powered up into a super saiyan as well. He had a noticeably easier time transforming than Gohan. "My power isn't as high as yours, but I guess it makes sense since I haven't been training as long as you have."

"You're not that far behind though," said Gohan. "However, neither one of us is even close to Seventeen, besides Eighteen." Turning to her, he gave her a concerned smile. "Do you think you can handle him? How far above you is he?"

Eighteen shrugged casually. "I can't really say. I know he's noticeably stronger, though I should be able to put up a challenge, and between the three of us, we'd probably be able to defeat him. However, keeping him down is another issue entirely."

"Yeah I don't think it would be easy to get the ki-inhibitor around his neck," said Gohan. "We'll have to hold him down long enough to fasten the collar around his neck. Since he never tires, it'll be very difficult to keep him subdued since he's stronger than any of us. Trunks and I might have to train a little before we challenge him."

"I wouldn't leave him alone for too long though," said Eighteen. "He's bound to be looking for you, so we'd better try and get the jump on him first. He knows where all of your usual hangouts are, and your friends at Kame House, or your mother won't stand a chance if he comes looking for you."

"Then we should warn them," said Gohan as he powered down, causing Trunks to follow suit. "It's better if they find out sooner or later." _I hope mom can forgive me for all the trouble I put her through. She was probably heartbroken when she heard from Trunks that I had died. When I go to see her, I should bring Eighteen, it might be a bittersweet surprise for her, but at least we'll get the explanations over with faster._

Eighteen raised an eyebrow out of curiosity at the pensive expression that had crossed her lover's face. "You're planning to go see your mom?" Gohan nodded affirmatively, which surprised Trunks. _That was a lucky guess._ "I'll come with you. It's better if we come completely clean right from the get-go."

"I agree," replied Gohan. "Trunks, how about you go to Kame House and tell everyone what's going on. Eighteen and I will be leaving in a few minutes to see my mom and grandfather."

"Wouldn't it be better if we bring Master Roshi and the others here?"

"Not necessarily," replied Gohan. "If all our loved ones are in one place, it'll just be one target for Seventeen to hit. It's like putting all your eggs in one basket. We might be able to save most of them if we let them all hide in their own way. Then Seventeen will have a harder time tracking them all down."

"Makes sense," added Eighteen. "Seventeen usually doesn't put much thought into finding people. He might prolong their death by playing games with them, but he's not really good when it comes to hide and seek."

Gohan nodded in response before turning to Trunks. "We're going now. Be sure to tell your mother what the plan is, because I know from experience that she hates being uninformed." Trunks chuckled nervously at that statement. "Well see you." Gohan and Eighteen then rose into the air before heading towards Mt. Paozu.

* * *

Seventeen stared blankly at the table as he sat in the living room of his house. Reaching forward, he picked up the deck of cards that were in front of him and pulled out the queen of spades before placing it on the table. Then he pulled out the jack of diamonds before placing it next to the queen.

_The queen is Eighteen, and that rat Gohan is the jack. I suppose that purple hair kid would be a ten; it'll be easy to take him out. Gohan's not much stronger, but he's tricky. _ Seventeen's eyes narrowed as he stared at the cards. _In order to get the queen back, I have to take out the jack. I could easily eliminate the ten as well if he causes trouble._

He then began taking out several lower numbered cards from the deck and set them off to the side on the table. They represented Gohan's weaker friends whom Seventeen knew had managed to survive up until now, though that was mainly due to him and his sister not being bothered to go kill them.

_Gohan's friends have an inconsequential power, and I can kill them whenever I want because I know where they live. I doubt Eighteen would care about them or about that purple haired brat._ Seventeen chuckled like an evil mastermind as his objective became clear. _In order to get the queen back I'll have to eliminate the jack. The others are too weak to provide significant resistance, which means I can use them to trip Gohan up._

Then Seventeen slapped the table, causing it to turn over, and spilling all of the cards. _No! This won't work. He's probably filled her with all those strange ideas. She'd just be mad at me for killing him._ An evil grin appeared on Seventeen's face as another idea came to mind. _However, if I can persuade Gohan to dump her, and then kill him, all my problems will be solved. She won't have any hang-ups about me killing the guy that dumped her._

He stood up abruptly and walked briskly to the door. _I'll be paying Mt. Paozu a visit._ Laughing ensued as Seventeen took to the sky and headed North to Mt. Paozu.

* * *

_Darn it! Thanks to those androids all of the good channels are gone_, thought Master Roshi as he flipped through what used to be the exercise channels. Nowadays, people didn't have time to look hot for a TV screen as more important values began to take over. Then he heard the phone ringing and picked it up. "Hello this is Roshi speaking."

"Hi Master Roshi, this is Trunks. I have some important news to tell you."

Roshi became interested immediately. "Did you kill the androids?" However, Trunks responded with a 'no.' _What other news could be so important_, thought the turtle hermit? "Well then Trunks, what is it that's so important?"

"I'll keep this short since you can hear the details later, but Gohan's alive. Not only that, but Android Eighteen is the one who saved him. Then for some reason or another, they ended up falling in love, but Seventeen got angry, and now he might try to kill you all out of revenge."

Roshi stood there, staring blankly for a moment before responding. "Trunks, that has to be the most ridiculous story I've ever heard. A lot of it goes against everything I know, and I seriously hope this isn't your idea of a joke." _I know that Trunks wouldn't lie about something like that, so there must be something going on._

"I didn't expect you to believe the entire story right off the bat, and there will be plenty of time for further explaining later on. There are two important details though. The first is that Seventeen will probably come to Kame House so you have to all get back into the submarine. Also, Gohan is alive, and you can check for his power level to confirm it for yourself."

"I see, that sounds sensible. We'll get in the submarine, but I'm taking a cell phone with me. Please call if it's ever safe for us to come back out." After hanging up the phone, Roshi turned to the other inhabitants of Kame House with a grim expression plastered on his face. "We're going back in the submarine."

"What?" Oolong stared at him incredulously. "We finally found it was safe enough to come back in here, and you want us to go back into that cramped submarine? What was that call about anyway?"

"It was Trunks," said Master Roshi seriously. "I don't want to waste time explaining everything he said, so I'll keep it short. He's got reason to believe Android Seventeen will come here and attack us." That was enough to convince Oolong and Puar to start hording food and supplies to take with them.

Roshi found the capsule containing their submarine and threw it into the ocean, causing a big splash as the full object came out. Then he opened the hatch before sensing an enormous power moving towards Mt. Paozu. _I recognize that, _thought Roshi._ Trunks was telling the truth, Gohan is alive. So could the other parts of his story be true as well? I'll have several questions for Gohan when I see him again._

It didn't take long for Oolong and Puar to put all their supplies in the capsule and run outside to meet Roshi. As they got into the submarine, Roshi picked up the turtle and carried him into the submarine. Then they closed the hatch and submerged the submarine.

* * *

Chichi was sitting at the kitchen table with her father, the Ox King. They had just finished eating lunch and were about to clean up when there was a knock at the door. When she opened the door, her heart almost stopped when she saw her son standing there. He had a nervous smile on his face.

"Hi mom," said Gohan nervously. He could tell that she was still processing what was going on. "It's really me mom. I've been alive this whole time. I just wasn't able to come see you."

"D-Dad! You need to see this," called Chichi as she stepped aside to let Gohan in. However, her eyes darkened when she saw Eighteen at the doorway. Moving quickly, she blocked the cyborg's path. "What are you doing here monster?"

"Mom…she's with me," said Gohan. He flinched slightly as his mother turned to give him an incredulous look. "It might be hard to believe, but she saved my life and kept me alive for these past few years. She even went against her brother to save me." Chichi still looked unconvinced. "Mom...please let her in. I mean if she wanted to, she could've forced her way in, but she's been waiting patiently. She's not a violent person anymore."

Chichi stepped aside grudgingly. Though she hated to admit it, Eighteen could've easily killed her, but she chose not to, therefore she had nothing to lose from letting her in. "Alright…but if you try anything Gohan will stop you, right?" She turned to Gohan, hoping that he wasn't entirely on the cyborg's side.

Gohan knew that he wasn't strong enough to defeat Eighteen at full power yet, but he didn't want to worry his mother. "Fine…I won't let her do anything evil." He let out a sigh of relief as the Ox King, the voice of reason in this household. "Anyway, we have something important to tell you. A lot has happened and there's a good chance that Seventeen will be coming here to try and kill me."

Chichi and the Ox King gasped. Eighteen decided to interject, she didn't like standing around like a statue. "He's very angry at Gohan for changing me, but we might be able to contain him with this." Eighteen held out the collar that Gohan had given her. "If we can get this on him, his power will be suppressed and he won't be a threat to us."

Chichi and the Ox King eyed her suspiciously, but they knew that Eighteen didn't have any reason to stand there and put up with them. She was either genuinely on their side, or was planning something for her own amusement. In any case, they knew that her loyalty would be tested at some point, and all they could do was wait until then.

"There's one more important detail that we have to talk to you about," said Gohan nervously. Eighteen walked up to him and stood next to him, earning them quizzical looks from Chichi and the Ox King. "Eighteen and I are…" Gohan didn't know how to say it subtly so he decided to be blunt about it. "We're together…as in we're dating…although we haven't actually been on a date…"

Chichi stared incredulously at her son as he stood next to the female cyborg. Both were staring at her with uncertain expression, and her father had also turned to look at her to see how she would react. Having to trust Eighteen after all she'd done was hard enough, but this new revelation was too much for her. After blinking a few times, she felt her world spinning as she fell on her back, unconscious.

"Oh no! Chichi!" The Ox King knelt beside his daughter and checked for her pulse before picking her up and placing her on the couch. Then he turned to Gohan who looked as if he regretted telling her the truth. "Well Gohan, that was quite a revelation. I'm not sure that I was too surprised that your mother couldn't take it. Don't worry though, she'll likely wake up soon." He then looked at Eighteen who had more control over her facial expression, though Chichi's fainting had clearly affected her. "I want you to know that while I am wiling to take Gohan's word for it, if this turns out to be nothing more than a charade, I will never forgive you, even if you did change later on."

Eighteen nodded somberly. "I promise that I will earn your trust. I earned Gohan's and I will prove that I have changed."

Seventeen hovered above the Son household with a sadistic smile. "Time to put my plan into action," he said before descending to the ground and extending his hand in the direction of the door. A small ki blast hit the door, knocking it off its hinges without destroying the house.

Gohan and Eighteen rushed outside and stared wide-eyed at the male cyborg. "I was hoping we'd be able to fight him on our own terms, but we'll have to put our plan into action now. Are you ready Eighteen?"

"I am," replied Eighteen in a whispered tone. She looked at her brother who stared at them with a crazy smile.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," said Seventeen calmly. _I was hoping that they wouldn't be here…I guess I'll have to eliminate Gohan here and now. I might as well take the chance to kill him now. I'll have all the time in the world to make up with Eighteen._ He slid into his fighting stance, facing Gohan.

"I don't want to fight you," said Gohan as he powered up into a super saiyan. "But if you have to go through with whatever you're planning, then I'll have no choice." _I really hope Eighteen means it when she says she'll help me. Even if she is a good person, it's a tall order to ask her to fight her brother._

Seventeen was about to rush towards Gohan, but his sister anticipated his move and phased in front of her lover before he could do it. "I suggest you get out of the way Eighteen," said Seventeen in a calm, yet agitated tone. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will do what I have to in order to get you back."

"Try joining us Seventeen," said Eighteen in an agitated tone, though she had significantly less emotional control than him. "You don't have to be Gohan's enemy. Changing is not out of the question. I just can't go back to what your side, you'll have to come over to our side."

"I can't do that Eighteen," said Seventeen in a creepy voice, as he got ready to attack her. "I would rather die than associate with such inferior creatures as humans." Words were no longer necessary. Seventeen wasn't going to sit down and listen to them if he could just beat them up.

* * *

I hope I portrayed all of the characters nicely. Also, about Gohan's power being at Freeza's level, I have my own reasoning behind that.


	19. Decisive Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen braced herself as Seventeen came charging at her, but her eyes widened in shock as he phased away from her and appeared in front of Gohan. She rushed to help Gohan as he blocked or dodged Seventeen's punches.

Seventeen sensed Eighteen approaching him and swayed out of the way as she tried to punch him before elbowing Gohan in the gut as he tried to attack from behind. Then he did a few back flips to put some distance between him and his two opponents. With both targets in one place, he charged two large energy balls and threw them at his opponents. Eighteen was able to cross her arms and withstand the blast, but Gohan was not as powerful and when he blocked the damaged was greater.

Taking advantage of the opening, Seventeen rushed in and proceeded to punch Gohan in the face, sending him flying. Then he phased above Gohan and slammed him into the ground, but as he was about to pummel him, Eighteen's foot slammed into his chest and sent him onto his back. As he got back up, he watched begrudgingly as she helped him to his feet.

"This'll be difficult," said Gohan. "Our goal is to slip the collar around his neck, I think we should leave that up to you since you're stronger." Eighteen nodded back to him shortly before they leapt away from a large ki blast. Seventeen phased in front of Gohan, and the hybrid could see the anger in his face. _Now's my chance!_ "Solar Flare."

Seventeen covered his eyes, but quickly ignored the pain. _Damn! Fighting two opponents is tough!_ He sensed someone coming behind him and tried to roundhouse kick the person, but the attack missed and he felt someone put him into a full nelson.

"I've got him," said Eighteen as she struggled to hold him in place. "Quickly, it's in my pocket. _If this doesn't work, Seventeen will be on to our plan._

Cautiously approaching the pair, Gohan tried to pull the collar out of her pocket. However, Seventeen wasn't making it easy, as he tried to kick the half saiyan, keeping him at bay. Gohan then tried to approach from behind Eighteen, and was able to pull the collar out of her pocket. _Got it._ However, before he could try to put it on the cyborg, Seventeen slammed the back of his head into Eighteen's face, causing her to release her grip.

"That thing!" Seventeen's eyes widened angrily. "You were going to take my power away from me, weren't you?" His anger boiled further as his fists clenched tightly. "I will never let you do that to me! It's a fate worse than death, and I refuse to be rendered powerless again!"

Eighteen stepped in front of Gohan. "We have to wait for Trunks to get here, then our job will be much easier. Just stay back, and let me stall him, and keep the collar safe." After receiving a nod from Gohan, Eighteen got ready to for battle, but was taken aback when her brother aggressively punched her in the cheek,

Seventeen was alert, but for the most part ignored Gohan and began focusing his attacks on Eighteen. After catching her off guard with that punch to the cheek he then kneed her in the gut before grabbing her legs and throwing her to the ground. "I don't like doing this Eighteen, but I refuse to let even you make me powerless again."

_He's coming after me now_ thought Eighteen as she crossed her arms and blocked a punch from him before countering with a kick to the head. After her brother blocked with his forearm. Putting some distance between them, Eighteen fired a barrage of ki blasts, which he blocked with an energy shield.

Seventeen rushed towards his sister and began exchanging blows with her, but quickly gained an advantage. He was stronger, and his blows did more damage, while he took less damage from her attacks. Getting carried away with the one on one battle, Seventeen capitalized on an opening and knocked Eighteen back with a punch to the face, however, as he tried to follow through, Gohan seemingly came out of nowhere and sent him flying with a kick to the cheek.

An angry Seventeen emerged from a pile of broken trees, and glared daggers at Gohan. "You just love pulling cheap tricks on me, don't you?" Brushing some fallen leaves off his shirt, he turned to Eighteen, who had gotten back up. "You really left me for a coward?"

"He's not a coward," replied Eighteen in a somber tone. "He was just trying to help me. You're the one who needs to be more observant in a two on one battle." She smiled slightly when she saw him simmering at her logic. _He just can't take any criticism, always preferring that comforting illusion on his.

* * *

_

Trunks had sensed Gohan's power level spike and was currently on his way to Mt. Paozu. He was currently close enough to see the damage from some of the large attacks, but was still a few minutes away from arriving. _Gohan has to be fighting one or both of the androids_, thought Trunks. _I seriously hope it's Seventeen and that Eighteen is assisting him._

A few minutes later, Trunks saw the fallen trees that Seventeen had crashed into. There were three figures on the ground nearby. One was standing apart and facing the others, which answered an important question. Eighteen was on their side, that much was obvious, however, Seventeen was still a formidable opponent.

Trunks landed in the middle of the group before powering up into a super saiyan. He looked at Seventeen first and saw that he wasn't pleased to see him, before turning to Gohan and Eighteen. "I sensed the battle so I thought you could use my help."

Gohan nodded happily. "I'm glad you showed up, Seventeen's been a real handful. You remember the plan, right?"

"I do," replied Trunks before turning to look back at Seventeen. _He's the strongest one here, and only Eighteen can truly last against him. I'll have to stay out of his range. _He narrowed his eyes and quickly glanced back at Gohan who held the device that could suppress Seventeen's power. _Gohan will be the one to put the collar on, so my job will be to help Eighteen hold him down._

Seventeen was now slightly nervous as he stared at his three opponents. _Damn, now there are three of them. My only hope is to take out the other two so I can fight Eighteen one on one._ Clenching his fists, he drowned his fear in anger, hoping it would somehow make him stronger. _I won't be made a weakling again!_

Trunks tensed up, but wasn't fast enough to block as when Seventeen charged him full speed and rammed him into the ground, before turning to leap out of the way as Eighteen tried to punch him. He then fired a ki blast a Trunks, forcing the super saiyan back on the ground before he could regain his footing. Then he swatted a blast from Eighteen away with his arm before blocking a follow-up punch with his forearm.

Gohan saw am opportunity and rushed towards Seventeen as Eighteen moved out of the way. As Seventeen was about to counter his attack, he used the afterimage technique. Then as Seventeen anticipated his move and turned to his next angle of attack, he used the solar flare to blind him.

_Damn it! They're going to try and put that thing on me again!_ Clutching is eyes with one hand, Seventeen used the other to elbow his sister in the ribs as she tried to restrain him from behind. A somewhat cocky smirk formed on his face when he realized their dilemma. _They won't be able to restrain me so easily._

"You've got to be kidding me," said Trunks in a frustrated tone as he stood back up. "He's fending all three of us off?" Pulling out his sword, he watched as Seventeen began fighting with Eighteen, noting that Gohan was off to the side, waiting for his chance as well. _He's still got that collar, which means that Seventeen will try extra hard to keep him away._

Gohan was about to make a move, when Trunks came up beside him. The look he was giving told Gohan that he had a plan. "All right Trunks lay it on me," said Gohan. Trunks nodded and leaned in before whispering his plan. Gohan nodded in response as he saw Seventeen punch Eighteen away before pursuing her. "Alright, I think it'll work, but we have to do it soon, Eighteen is starting to lose."

After splitting apart, Gohan and Trunks both rushed at Seventeen. The cyborg noticed them approaching and flew off to meet them. However, Trunks broke away and Gohan fired a one-handed Masenko at Seventeen before using it as cover to phase next to him and send him flying with a kick to the side of the head.

Trunks then appeared above Seventeen and tried to slice him with his sword and Seventeen dodged, as predicted. Ascending higher into the air, Trunks threw his sword at Seventeen, who easily side stepped it, and used that as a diversion to fire his burning attack. Caught slightly off guard, Seventeen hastily leapt into the air, just as Freeza had, but was then caught in a full nelson by Eighteen again.

Seventeen's eyes widened as he saw Gohan rushing him, just as he had last time. Then a confident smile dawned his face. "That won't work on me twice!" As he used his legs to fend Gohan off again, he noticed Trunks rushing at him out of the corner of his eye. _He's got one hand in his pocket! That means Gohan gave him the collar now!_

Seventeen tried to swat Trunks away with his legs, but the saiyan hybrid dodged. He then tried to headbutt Eighteen again, but she anticipated it and resisted the blow. However, before Seventeen could shake Eighteen off, Gohan was upon them, and the cyborg's eyes widened at the sight of the collar in his hand. Approaching from the side, Gohan knew that Seventeen wouldn't be fast enough to fend him off, and with a yell, he thrust the open collar onto Seventeen's neck, and then closed his hand to snap it shut.

When his sister let him go, Seventeen fell to the ground. As he got back up, Seventeen knew that his power was gone. All he could do was stare bitterly up at the trio who now dwarfed him in power. Feelings of self-loathing poured back into him. He hated being a weak person, who could only hate and curse an enemy that had complete control of the situation.

Vainly clutching at the collar, Seventeen tried tearing the thing off, hoping that a small portion of his strength persisted. When the reality finally sank in, he dropped onto his hands and knees. Now he felt even worse than he had before becoming an android. The fact that he had been the strongest in the universe moments ago only made his situation seems worse.

Eighteen knew exactly what was going through her brother's mind. _ He's feeling that way again_, thought Eighteen. _It's how he felt when Dr. Gero captured us and trapped us in his lab._ A sad expression crossed her face. _I feel sorry for him…I hope he decides to join us…I hope Gohan can save him like he did me.

* * *

_

"Chichi…wake up Chichi." The OX King stared down at his daughter with a gleeful, expression. He had seen the entire battle and had been eagerly trying to get his daughter up to watch it as well.

She felt hazy as she opened her eyes. "Wha…dad?" Then upon remembering why she had fainted, she sat up rapidly. "Where's Gohan?" Looking around the room rapidly, she saw what looked like her son, and Trunks standing in the kitchen, making tea. On the couch behind her happy father, sat Eighteen, and at the other end was Seventeen, who had his arms crossed, and bitter look on his face.

"What…happened?" Chichi gave her father a bewildered look that demanded an explanation. "Did they capture Android Seventeen?"

Her father nodded happily. "I saw the battle. Android Eighteen helped Gohan and Trunks put some collar on Seventeen, and he's lost all of his power. He's not really a threat anymore, and Gohan decided to make tea for everyone."

"Huh…" Chichi looked over at Seventeen who glowered at them. "Well he doesn't look too happy. I hope he doesn't somehow get free." Then she heard someone coming out of the kitchen and looked over to see her son and Trunks.

"Here mom," said Gohan with a smile as he handed her a teacup. "I had a feeling that you'd be getting up soon, so I made one for you as well." He and Trunks handed, Eighteen and the Ox King their teas, but when Gohan offered some tea to Seventeen, the stubborn cyborg just turned away from him. Gohan sighed, before placing the cup on the table near Seventeen before sitting next to Eighteen with his own tea.

Chichi felt her temper return when Seventeen spurned Gohan's offering of tea. "Hey you brat, that was very impolite!" Seventeen only briefly turned to look at her before looking away again; barely acknowledging that she'd said anything. This only made Chichi angry. "Why you little-"

"Um, I don't think yelling is going to change anything," said Eighteen, standing up in the process. "Seventeen's a very close-minded person," she heard her brother grunt in response to that. "He's feeling bitter right now, so I think we should just ignore him."

Taking a deep breath, Chichi brought her temper under control. "I guess you're right. I guess he does have the mind of a teenager after all." Looking around the room, she tried to think of something to say. Her father was now sitting next to her, with Trunks on the other side, and the two cyborgs that had terrorized the world for over a decade were sitting across from her with her son in the middle.

"So mom…do you trust Eighteen a little more now," asked Gohan after taking a sip of tea. He was no longer afraid of his mother's temper like he had been as a child, but he still didn't like it when she snapped. "We couldn't have subdued Seventeen without her help."

Chichi sighed before looking from Eighteen to Gohan, all eyes were on her, and she was feeling somewhat nervous in the situation. "You're really serious about her?" Gohan raised an eyebrow, but quickly figured out what she was asking and nodded. "Fine…then if you're sure that she's changed, I won't argue otherwise. You're a grown man and I trust you to take responsibility for yourself."

"Thank you," replied Gohan happily, causing Eighteen to smile as well. "But I guess that you're still a bit jumpy about this situation."

"That's right," replied Chichi. "I can't say that I fully trust her, but I'd be no better off stressing over her being with you." She saw Seventeen shoot Gohan a glare briefly. _He's definitely got issues with Gohan, that collar can't come off._ Then she turned to look directly at Eighteen. "Still, I want you to know that you're on probation, and I still consider your brother an enemy. I can't threaten you, but I will say that it'll take only one strike to make me your enemy again."

"I understand," replied Eighteen in an even tone. "I really do care about Gohan, and I won't ever kill people again. If I do betray you, then you'll have every right to hate me, but I'll strive to gain your full trust." Then she smiled warmly at the older woman. "Thanks for at least giving me a chance."

"Well all this sentimental talk is making me sick," said Seventeen spitefully before getting up with his hands tucked in his jeans pockets. "I'm leaving." However, before he could go, Eighteen put phased behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. Looking back at her out of the corner of his eye, Seventeen eyed her more warily than he wanted to. "What do you want Eighteen?"

"I think you owe your life to Gohan. He's the reason we can both live peacefully now, and he was even kind enough to offer you some tea which you ungraciously rejected." Seventeen glared at her, angered by the lecturing tone she took with him. Then he simply shrugged her off before walking to the door. "You know what, Gohan had us all figured out…I've changed, but you're still a spiteful punk with a chip on your shoulder! Ive said this many times, but now I really mean it! Grow up Seventeen!"

"I don't need you lecturing me Eighteen," replied Seventeen venomously. "And I especially don't need you preaching Gohan's gospel." Turning away from her, he opened the door and strolled outside. "What do you guys care, I'm no longer a threat to you. You could easily kill me if you wanted. You've taken away my strength, I'd rather not lose my pride with it."

As her brother walked away, Eighteen stared after him with a crestfallen expression. _I guess he's not ready yet…I know things are better now, but I really wish it didn't mean losing him…maybe he'll come back._ Feeling a comforting hand on her shoulder, she looked up ad smiled sadly at Gohan. "I really hope he comes back."

"He probably will," replied Gohan. "He's moody, but he knows that we're waiting for him." Then he turned back to the others in the room. "Sorry you had to see all that. But we shouldn't allow it to bring us down. The threat is over, let's call everyone and celebrate."

"That's right," said Trunks after taking a final gulp of tea and then jumping to his feet. "I've got tell mom the good news, and she'll contact everyone else." After briefly saying goodbye to everyone, Trunks ran outside and took off for West City. Since Trunks had taken charge of spreading the word, Eighteen, and her new family were able to relax for the day.

* * *

I hope the ending to this chapter was more abrupt. Also, for those who were hoping Chichi would freak out more, I don't really think she;d be this irrational. She;s not an idiot, and I did try to balance her temper with increased wisdom and rationality from age.


	20. A Changed World

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

"Why are we meeting here?" Eighteen looked up at the damaged roof of Capsule Corp. uneasily. It also didn't help that the crumbling structure was in the middle of a city that recognized and hated her. "Wouldn't Mt. Paozu be a more suitable location? It's more intact and it's in a nice secluded area."

"Capsule Corp. isn't that bad a place for a party," said Gohan as they walked towards the main entrance. "It's also the only place big enough for all of us to stretch out comfortably. Besides, it's not like anyone saw you on our way here." A sympathetic smile came to his face when he saw her eyes darting around uneasily. "Look…I know the others don't trust you completely, but they'll still accept you, and I'm sure they'll soon realize how much you've changed and begin to open up a little more."

Giving him a coy smile, Eighteen blushed slightly. "Thanks Gohan…you're really getting good at cheering me up now." She chuckled when she saw a light tint of red appear on Gohan's face. "Well I think I'm ready to face them all now."

"How touching," came a sarcastic voice. They both look at the figure leaning against one of the outer walls of the compound. Having not noticed him until that point, the couple was mildly alarmed when they found it was Seventeen, which brought a smirk to his face. "Surprised that I was able to sneak in here without any special powers? I've gotten used to hiding out since the last time we met."

"Seventeen…it's been a year now," said Eighteen. She couldn't believe that he would come here so boldly after his childish display at Mt. Paozu one year ago. Her expression quickly turned serious. "Why would you come here, you know that you're not welcome. Is it to admit that you're wrong that you're wrong?"

"That's not why I'm here," said Seventeen with a fake smile. "I've come here because the world has turned hostile to me." The looks he received told him that they weren't surprised. The sympathy they conveyed angered Seventeen, it made him feel like a weakling. "I know that it was bound to happen, and I blame both of you for it, but unfortunately, this is the only place I know where the people won't kill me on site. Don't pity me, I'd rather not lose anymore dignity than I already have." With that Seventeen walked away to go lean on another portion of wall, where he hoped nobody would find him.

"I hate seeing him like that," said Eighteen. "I guess he couldn't grow up, even after one year of having his mistake shoved in his face, he still hasn't learned his lesson. We can't remove the collar from him, no matter how much I want to."

"I know he wouldn't want me to, but I do feel sorry for him," sad Gohan as he gave her a sad smile. "He needs friends or at least people who would give him a chance. That's why Piccolo, Vegeta, and you were able to change. It's something he can't do on his own."

"He needs to accept that help first," replied Eighteen before turning to face him. "Come on, let's get going. They'll be wondering where we are." Leading the way, she walked through Capsule Corp's now fully restored sliding doors. While sections of the building remained as they had been for the past few years, the main living quarters had been restored to a pre-androids state, making them comfortable to be in.

"Impressive isn't it," said Bulma when she saw Eighteen ogling at all of the repairs. "The people of West City immediately came together after I spread the word of the androids being defeated. Trunks can tell you more about it, but a group of people have been going around rebuilding various sections of the city, but they're mostly restoring homes right now."

"That's good to here," replied Gohan. "The people at Mt. Paozu don't recognize Eighteen as an android, so they were willing to accept her help. We've mostly gone around the mountain district and helped rebuild towns there."

"Things are finally looking up for everyone," said Bulma with a happy smile. Then she stepped aside and beckoned her guests to enter the newly restored living room. "Well go on in, everyone's waiting for you two."

When she stepped into the living room, Eighteen was greeted with a sight she hadn't seen before. Everyone was off enjoying the party in their own way. Oolong, and Roshi were busy stuffing their faces full of food, while Trunks was engaged in a conversation with the Ox King, and near them, Puar and Turtle were trying to solve a puzzle.

"I guess you've never seen people at a party before," said Gohan when he looked at her. _It makes sense since she's been a social outcast for most of her life, and this is the first real party we've had since Seventeen's defeat._ She looked up and smiled at him before giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Gohan, Eighteen!" Chichi walked over to them with a truly happy smile on her face. "I'm glad you've both made it." She handed a slice of cake to each of them. "Here, you both deserve it after all the good things you've done."

"Thank you," replied Eighteen gratefully. She leaned over to Chichi so nobody would hear, and said, "we met Seventeen outside. He's been sulking there for a while now."

Normally Chichi would've freaked out at the thought of Eighteen's brother hiding around the compound, but now she knew that he was no threat to them due to the device around his neck. In fact, she almost felt some pity for a person like him, being forced to hide out, simply because he was too proud to admit that he had been wrong, though the key word was almost. She was still a long way off from accepting Seventeen as family, even if she'd already accepted his sister.

"Well let's not talk about that anymore," replied Chichi with a sweet smile. "I'm sure he won't cause us any trouble if he knows what's good for him."

"I agree," replied Eighteen before taking a bite out of the cake. "This cake tastes good."

* * *

Not content to watch his sister having fun at the party, Seventeen decided to leave and check out the city. The jacket he wore over his usual clothes came equipped with a hood and it helped conceal his face so that nobody would recognize him. Even if the people of this city were still afraid of him, he'd rather they not see him in his current state.

Slipping into the streets, he looked around warily at all the passers by. They were all happy, and carefree, just like he remembered them before he and Eighteen unleashed their reign of terror. The thing that annoyed Seventeen the most about them now was the fact that they were letting him pass by, not showing any sign of suspicion or hostility. He knew that they didn't know who he was, but they could've at least acted hostile, and judgmental like he expected they would be.

With the city still in a state of disrepair, when Seventeen looked around, he saw people working on various construction projects. _They all look so happy_, thought Seventeen. _Looks like they're not taking each other for granted like I thought they would. Still…why are they so happy, when I'm here suffering? Life is never fair!_

Picking up a stray brick, he contemplated throwing it at the window of a newly restored shop. It was possibly his last chance to cause destruction. He could outrun the humans and slip away before Gohan or his sister arrived on the scene. However, after brief consideration, he decided against it. It just wasn't his style to do something so underhanded, as if he had to rely on such tactics to cause destruction.

_I don't want to act like a weakling_, thought Seventeen angrily. He turned around and walked back towards the Capsule Corp. compound. He didn't like going back there, but he felt compelled to at least be where his sister was. Though he hated to admit it, Seventeen did miss her.

To his chagrin, when he got there, Gohan was waiting outside for him. The saiyan hybrid smiled when he noticed Seventeen entering the compound. "I was wondering when you'd come back," said Gohan calmly. "You should come inside, I'm sure your sister will make sure nobody tries to kill you."

"I don't need your pity," said Seventeen before briskly walking by Gohan.

"Then why didn't you just leave for good," asked Gohan as if he knew something. "You could've just run out of the city, never to be seen again." Seventeen froze in his tracks, confirming that he didn't have anything to say to that. "So what made you come back here?"

"I just did," said Seventeen. "Just leave me alone, I don't want to hear any of your pity."

"Don't flatter yourself," said Gohan in a more serious, and harsher tone. "It's not just about you. Your sister misses you because you're her family, and she's proven herself as our friend, and we care about her happiness. So don't delude yourself into thinking that we're just a bunch of softies who're just trying to make friends with you. It's not always about you Seventeen."

"So now it's a lecture?" It came out more as a comment than a question. Turning to face him, Seventeen shot him a death glare, which didn't seem to faze Gohan, or even trigger any sort of hostility. Seventeen would've preferred it if he'd gotten angry with him, instead, Gohan was treating him like an immature teenager. "I don't need you talking to me like that. I'm an adult, I can think for myself."

Gohan shrugged, but maintained his stern expression. "Fair enough. Then think about what I said. You've nothing to gain from sulking in the shadows and feeling sorry for yourself. There are other ways to be happy, besides being the strongest. Your pride's the only thing holding you back." He had nothing more to say and left Seventeen alone to return to the party.

"I don't need you or anyone," mumbled Seventeen before sitting down near the outer wall of Capsule Corp. _I can't do everything by myself. I don't need anyone to tell me what to do like I'm some kid. So what if Eighteen left me…I don't need her anymore…I can go on with my own life by myself._

An hour later, Seventeen realized something, which he hadn't even considered. _I still have my self-detonation device! I can kill everyone here by blowing them all up. I won't have to endure them talking down to me, like I'm some sort of child anymore. I'll show them all that I'm still a threat!_

Eighteen had come outside to see if her brother was still lurking around the compound. Upon seeing him, she immediately deciphered what was on his mind. "Thinking of self-detonating?" He looked up at her suddenly, as if she'd startled him. "You know I'd be able to sense it and cover everyone with a shield."

He looked at her bitterly. She had left him behind, and he could tell that she had grown to love her new life. "Did you come here to lecture me, like Gohan did? I'll bet you pity the fact that I'm not as enlightened as you are. Well sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going to be drinking Gohan's Kool-Aid."

"No, you're drinking Dr. Gero's Kool-Aid," replied Eighteen in a somewhat agitated tone. "You may not think it but you're acting exactly as Gero predicted you would. He thought that we were just a pair of teenage delinquents that nobody cared about. He expected us to be machines of destructions that would gratify his desire for revenge. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to play his game anymore."

Looking away from her, his mind processed what she'd told him. "I killed him. Was that according to his plan? I don't want to be part of his grand design anymore than you do, but I also don't like being limited by society's rules."

Eighteen rolled her eyes before grabbing his arm and dragging him inside. "Come on, you need to socialize. Taking to people is a good thing, and Gohan can remove all your beefs with society."

However, just as they reached the door, Seventeen tried to pull free of her grip, though she was much stronger than him now, and he failed. "It all comes back to Gohan doesn't it? What's so great about him?"

"If you'd just talk to him, you would know just how smart he is. The only thing holding you back is your pride. Nothing bad is going to happen to you if you give it a try. If you don't like what he says, you can just go back to the way you are now."

"Suppose I do take your advice, and Gohan as able to help me, would his friends really be so accepting of me? They'd probably wait until my guard is down and then kill me."

"They're not like that," replied Eighteen. "Sure they won't trust you at first, in fact, I've been on probation with them for the entire year, and they're only just starting to trust me like a friend. They won't trust you right off the bat, and it'll probably be over a year before you lose that collar, but they will be nice and courteous to you, and won't try to stab you in the back."

Seventeen shrugged the comment off, but saw that his sister was sincere about wanting him around. "Fine, I'll give this a try, but if they try to hurt me, I'm leaving and never coming back."

"Suit yourself," replied Eighteen before letting go of him and walking inside. Seventeen followed after a brief pause. When Eighteen entered the party area Gohan walked up to her and smiled before looking over her shoulder at Seventeen. "It took a while for me to convince him to come inside."

"I'm gad you decided to show up," said Gohan to Seventeen.

Crossing his arms, Seventeen turned slightly away from him in a futile attempt to save face. "It's not because I wanted to. I just didn't have any better choices."

Gohan shrugged him off. "I guess that's good enough for now. Trust me, once you know all the perks of being part of society, you'll never want to go back. It's better to be on our side than to be a loner." Turning his attention back to Eighteen, he gave her a knowing smile. _I'll be nice; you can be tough with him._

_

* * *

_

A few days after the celebration at Capsule Corp. Gohan and Eighteen were flying over what used to be North City. After letting it be for over a month, they had decided to check on the trees they had planted over a years ago.

"Look down there," said Eighteen as she pointed to what used to be a scar on the land. "I can see the young trees from up here." Landing in the clearing, they saw that the trees were all now a littler taller than either of them. "Wow, they've really grown this past year. I didn't even notice it."

"That's the thing with plants," replied Gohan with a happy smile as he admired the young trees. "They grown incrementally and you don't notice it while its happening, but eventually you look at them and wonder how they got to be so big."

"It probably won't be long before they start to form a canopy," added Eighteen. "I…I never thought this would happen, but I'm actually feeling quite proud of them. It's like I'm their parent, and they graduated…It sounds silly, doesn't it?"

Gohan shook his head. "No, I remember growing plants when I was younger, and I always used to feel that way. It's perfectly natural, but I'm think I enjoyed planting these tress the most."

"Why's that" asked Eighteen while raising a curious eyebrow.

"It's because we did it together," replied Gohan. "It's actually more to do with hindsight, but I'm especially happy with this because we accomplished it together. I'm not sure if I could've done all this by myself."

Walking up to him, she stroked his cheek before pulling him into a kiss. When it was over she took his hand and pulled him into the. "Let's get out of here Gohan. I think the forest will be fine now. Besides, we've got the rest of our lives to look forward to." They flew away and from that point on they left the past behind and focused their efforts on building a future they could be happy in.

* * *

I didn't want to make the ending too much like a "happily ever after" fairytale, but I wanted it to end optimistically. I hope it doesn't feel rushed or forced, as I find that endings are the hardest part of the story. Anyway, I wanted that last sentence to not only represent them moving ahead in life, but also leaving behind their past grudges with each other.


End file.
